The Lion and the Snake
by Pretty-Unpretty
Summary: He was the lion and she was the snake. One bet brought them together, the very same one tore them apart...
1. Introducing the Snake

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize, most of it belongs to the mazing JK Rowling.**_

**Enjoy!**

**.**

**The Lion and the Snake**

**Introducing the Snake**

Her name was Rachel Constantine and she was a self-righteous bitch. At least that's how some people referred to her. But she never minded if being a bitch was what got you to the top, she was willing to do it.

She strived to be perfect and her ambition was over the top. Ever since her older sister, Melanie Levens née Constantine, made a name for them at Hogwarts, Rachel wanted to be better than all of her sisters combined. A goal she set for herself at age nine, when Melanie had graduated, Liana was to start soon and Katherine was in her sixth year.

Maybe it was because she was the baby of the family, the one who loved to have the spotlight on her, obnoxious and bratty. It was just part of Rachel's nature, being the younger child. But it also came with a lot of jealousy and deceit, constantly being babied by her parents and overshadowed by her sisters.

She felt the need to prove herself, to be better, stronger, quicker and just more amazing than all her sisters combined.

While she tried to reach her goal, she had become so self-righteous; it was sometimes unnerving to everyone else. Rachel considered herself far more superior than everyone else. The two people who could bring down that thought were Albus Potter (her best friend) and Scorpius Malfoy (her cousin).

With the need to be the best, Rose Weasley had fallen under her in the line of scores. The two constantly were put head to head on every test and assignment, that they hated every fiber of the other person. Either tying or beating out the other. But it always seemed like a challenge that they were ready to accept.

But of course, everyone has their fair share of bullies, drama and vicious rumors.

Rachel had never faced those until her fifth year in Hogwarts, where even Rose was struggling to stay on top of her game. Somehow, Rachel had managed to beat Rose in almost every test. Which satisfied Rachel in many ways. But it also started a vicious rumor.

"Did you hear? Constantine slept with a few of the teachers."

"Rachel Constantine is such a slut."

"No wonder her scores are higher than Weasley,_ Rose Weasley_."

It would spread around the school like wildfire, practically destroying all respect anyone had for her.

But Albus and Scorpius stayed by her side. Through all the name-calling, drama and vicious rumors and stories, Rachel managed to stay on top for weeks in a row. Never reaching that one breaking point almost every one had when something so cruel was spread about them.

Rachel Constantine put up a cold front. She felt that the only way to get through this all was to ignore it and pretend like it didn't matter, like she didn't care about it. Putting up a cold demeanor, she held her head up high and always wore a plain look. She just acted like she didn't care about anything that they said about her.

That only caused more names to be thrown around and rumors to be spread. Of course, she never broke down. Never had she shred a tear about it or even exploded about anything being said.

How long can she last? How much more of this can she take? Is being on top worth all of this?

* * *

**A/N: This is going to take place in the time period of Ariana/Fred. Even though I haven't finished that story, you'll probably see Ariana here and there. (Or anybody else.)**

**I'm also rewriting Underneath All That Stone; I'm not giving up on it. I just need to get my inspiration back. I have a new idea for it, something sweeter and ties in with this story. But it will revolve around Ariana/Fred. **

**And I'm also guessing that you know what house Rachel is being put in? Yeah. I'm sure you all do. You'll probably know where the Lion is sorted too. **

******Read and Review. If you liked it and want more, review. Until Next Time.**  



	2. Introducing the Lion

**Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns anything you recognize the rest is mine.**

**Enjoy!**

**.**

**The Lion and the Snake**

**Introducing the Lion**

James Potter was a handsome, suave, every girls dream, a pain in the arse, funny and an asshole at some points in his life.

He loved his family but sometimes all that heroism was really annoying. Everyone expected him to either be a qudditch player like his mum or an auror like his dad. But James didn't want any of that, sure he loved quidditch and helping people, but he wanted to do something else in life.

James wanted to travel and explore the world, he wanted to be free and see everything in the wizarding and muggle world. There was so much to see and explore.

But being compared to his dad made him nearly forget that dream. James constantly tried to live up to everyone's expectations until is fifth year when he realized their opinion didn't matter. He started to live own life, had fun doing it and remembered that one dream of his.

It still haunted him that he would always be in his father's shadow. James wanted nothing more than to escape that void. But it seemed impossible, he was first born and everyone had expectations.

Albus wasn't expected to be like anyone else, Lily was expected to be like her mum and she was proud to do it. James, on the other hand, just wanted to be his own person. He wanted be recognized as James S. Potter, not James Potter, Harry Potter's son.

But know one understood that he wanted to be himself. Reporters constantly thought he wanted to be like his dad and wanted to be an auror. They twisted his words and put lies in their papers. He hated the Daily Prophet in general, so many lies and fakes.

Hogwarts was exactly like that, they twisted everything and made up lies.

"Constantine slept with a Professor! A Professor!"

"Richardson was cheating on Savvy and Lanes."

"Did you hear? Rachel Constantine beat Rose Weasley, again! But we all know why..."

"Lia is such a slut, wearing those skimpy outfits."

They were mean and some of them were so... evil.

By the end of James' sixth year, everyone knew who Rachel Constantine was and the teacher/student scandal. It wasn't James didn't know Rachel, because he certainly did.

All in all, he felt bad for the girl. It was a stupid rumor every one believed, she seemed to always be overshadowed by older siblings and she was always snarky, sour and a slight bitch. He wanted to like her, James usually liked his brother's friends, but she just seemed harder to grasp onto than anybody else. She surprised everyone in the family.

But James couldn't worry about her problems when he had things of his own to worry about.

He's exploded at people before, having both his mum's and dad's temper. James usually kept a level head. Things had never become too much for him and he survived a lot, his dad survived much more.

Now you just sit back and watch James' seventh year unravel. There was only one last thing to do, it was to get out of the shadow and become James Potter, and not Harry Potter's first born.

It's not impossible.

Just... Difficult.

* * *

**A/N: The next episode, ahem, chapter of The Lion and the Snake. Sorry it's short.**

**I think I know how I'll rewrite Ariana/Fred. It's going to be different from what I originally planned, but I have a different idea in mind for her. A really different idea... It actually might be sweeter than the original idea.  
**

**Thanks for all of the reviews I received, I do appreciate every single one of them. I'm confident this story will turn out fine. **

**So Read and Review. If you like it, review and tell me what I'm doing right, tell me what I'm doing wrong, tell me your favorite character, tell me your least favorite character. Though that might be a bit hard since you barely know who all the characters will be...**

**Screw it, review on what ever you would like to review on.**

**Until Then.  
**


	3. The Bet

**_Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize, credit goes to JK Rowling._**

**EnJoY!**

**.**

**The Lion and the Snake**

**The Bet**

**_It's better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone... so far._  
**

**_-Marilyn Monroe_**

**-September 1st, 2017-**

"Uncle Draco," Rachel tugged on her Uncle's sleeve. He looked down at his niece and saw the extreme resemblance of his wife and the little girl. "Why couldn't mum and dad bring me?"

"They're seeing off Katherine, she is going to the states," Draco answered his niece.

"But..."

"They'll send letters," Astoria said gently.

But Rachel just frowned, it was her first year going to Hogwarts and her parents weren't even there to see her off. Liana would be going with her friends, leaving only Scorpius and her together.

"Cheer up Rachel! Scorpius clung an arm around his cousin. "Dad and mum are here! And I am too!"

"But..."

"We're going to own this place!" Scorpius smiled at her. Trying to lighten her mood, but it wasn't working the slightest.

A few feet away, she saw he famous Harry Potter standing with one of his sons. Draco visibly stiffened and he ushered his niece and son onto the train.

"Scorpius, right to us!" Astoria called.

"Got it!"

"Rachel, dear, I'm sure your parents will contact you soon," she told her with a small smile.

With one last wave, Rachel spun on her heels, leaving her cousin to trail after her.

**.**

"Rose, if you don't pick a compartment, I'll pick it," Al rolled his emerald green eyes at his cousin.

"I haven't seen a first year anywhere!"

"Rose, we pasted like ten of 'em."

She growled at him and said, "Fine, then you pick."

He walked past two compartments, one with James and co. Another one had two seventh years snogging. (Ick)

"Here, we'll sit here."

A bleach blonde haired boy trying to cheer up a girl with dark brown hair, she was staring— glaring — at the book she was reading.

Al slid the door open and smiled at them, "Can we sit here?"

The girl looked up, her celery green eyes sparked with recognition. Shrugging, she turned back to her book. The boy smiled, ushering them in.

"Nice to meet you," he held out his hand. "I'm Scorpius and this is my little cousin, Rachel."

"Al," Al shook Scorpius' hand. "This is my cousin, Rose."

Rose walked in cautiously, even though Rachel seemed to be reading her book, she was carefully watching the two from the corner of her eye. Rachel seemed to be observing the two, she obviously knew who they were.

**.**

"Better go check on Al," James got up. He saw his cousin and brother walk by their compartment, only giving it one glance.

"I wanna come with!" Fred smiled widely.

Walking out of the compartment, they spotted Rose's red hair two compartments down. She looked about ready to attack the girl standing in front of her; Al and Scorpius Malfoy were watching the two intensely.

"Woah, what's happening in here?" James asked, opening the door.

The girl gave him a disapproving look, her celery green eyes burning with a cold fire. In a way she seemed familiar, just colder, stronger and way more serious.

"She is an insolent little brat!" Rose yelled.

"I'm a brat? You shouldn't be talking, you're just as bad as I am!"

Rose let out a frustrated yelp before storming away. The girl sat down and flipped opens her book, completely ignoring the two-second years. He then realized why the girl looked so familiar; she was a mini version of Liana Constantine.

"Liana Constantine's sister," James smiled.

"What's it to you?" she asked in a snappy tone.

"She's cute, that's a lot more than I could say for you," Fred shrugged.

Brushing her hair behind her ears, she got up and pushed past the two older boys, a scowl on her face.

"Aww, you just had to go and make her upset?" Al asked.

"You shouldn't have said that mate," James nudged Fred.

"Don't worry," Scorpius told them. "Rachel doesn't care if she's cute or not, just being compared to one of her sisters make her go nuts."

James and Fred shared a look before going back to their compartment, that was... weird.

* * *

**-September 1st, 2022-**

James and Fred sat in a compartment with their other friends. Fred had a thoughtful look on his face he was concentrating on something. James felt totally bored; there was nothing else to do.

"Oi James!" Fred exclaimed out of the blue.

"Yeah?"

"I have the perfect _bet_ for you?"

"That again?"

They haven't done _"The Bet"_ in years, especially after what happened in their fourth year.

"Yeah, and it's perfect," Fred smiled.

"Okay, what is the bet and how much?"

"Hundred galleons."

James stared wide-eyed at Fred, a hundred galleons? Was Fred out of his mind?

"What is the bet?" James stuttered.

"I can't tell you, not until you agree."

"That's unfair!"

"Yeah, I know" Fred nodded.

James thought about it for another second. Should he follow through with something so stupid? I mean, it was their last year and they better make it worthwhile right?

"Fine," James held out his hand for the shake.

Sealing the deal, Fred bursts with excitement, "Remember last year?"

"You're going to have to be more specific."

"Where you said that you could get any girl at the school?"

James thought for a second before nodding.

"Well, I want you to get Constantine to fall in love with you."

"Liana? She'll be easy, should've picked someone harder," James smirked.

"Not Liana," Fred shook his head. "_Rachel._"

As soon as her name came out of Fred's mouth, James immediately wanted to back out. She had bad press around her. This was not going to end well and he knew it.

"What?!"

"Rachel Constantine, I want you to make her fall in love with you," Fred explained. "It's not that hard to understand, now what is my bet?"

He processed what he just heard and thought of a plan. His mind going to one of Fred's weak spots: Ariana Jones.

"Jones," James said abruptly. "You can't go a year without messing with her. You can't prank, mess with or do any of our tricks on her."

"James!" Fred exclaims. "This is our last year, I can't do that!"

"Then I'm not going to make Constantine fall in love with me," James went on smoothly.

Fred looked tempted to call it off, but he holds out his hand to seal the deal.

* * *

**A/N: That concludes Chapter One: The Bet. I added the beginning for a little background information, but as the story unravels, you'll get to understand more and more.**

**Read and Review, if you like it and want more, Review. Tell me what I'm doing wrong and what I'm doing right, I really do appreciate it.**

**Any cover ideas for this story?**

**I'm still generating ideas for the Ariana/Fred story. I'm re-sketching the entire thing, I want it to be different.**

**Until Then.**


	4. Welcome Home

**Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns anything you recognize the rest is mine.**

**Enjoy!**

**.**

**The Lion and the Snake**

**Welcome Home**

**_Walking with a friends in the darkness is better than waking alone in the light._  
**

**_-Hellen Keller _**

**.**

Rachel gave Albus Potter a hug before turning to Rose Weasley and giving her a slight nod. Rose did the same thing, but hugged Scorpius instead.

Tension was high in the air and the only reason of that was because Rose and Rachel were in the same room. They hated each other and for no good reason either the feeling were just mutual.

Even though Al was sorted into Slytherin, Rose remained good friends with him and Scorpius. While she and Rachel despised each other.

"Why'd it take so long for you to get here?" Al asked. "And why don't your parents ever take you?"

"Rachel decided to lock herself in her room two hours before we left, it took two hours for us to persuade her to come out," Scorpius rolled his eyes. "It took two seconds for her to whip open the door and slap me though."

"Why would Rachel do that?"

"I compared her to Liana, Katherine and Melanie," Scorpius grinned sheepishly. Rachel crossed her arms; she was not going to explode.

"Besides, my parents are planning Katherine's wedding," Rachel shrugged.

"Wedding, will I be invited?" Al asked with a grin.

"Depends, Katherine's always likes you," she shrugged.

"Where's Liana?"

"Never wants to see my face again, especially after what happened last year."

Rose snorted in reply causing everyone to face her and she said, "I can totally see why, if I had a sister like you, I'd put poison in your coffee."

"If you were my sister, I'd drink it," Rachel answered monotony.

Rose glared at the dark haired girl and Rachel just simply stared back, her eyes a cold burning fire.

"You just think you're better than everyone else, but you're not. I've known you for four years and you've always been conceited," Rose told her.

"I'm an acquired taste, darling. Don't like me, acquire some taste," Rachel shot back with no change in her tone. It was as cold and plain as usual, showing no real emotion.

"Okay, okay," Scorpius stopped them. "That's enough, Rose, wanna take a walk?"

Scorpius pulled her out the door, leaving only Al and Rachel in silence.

"Why are you two always at each others neck?" Al sighed.

"She started it," Rachel sniffed.

"Doesn't mean you have to elaborate," Al rolled his eyes. "Why don't you guys like each other? I always have to rearrange my schedule to work around you two, but I don't want to do it anymore."

"Then don't."

"But if I don't, you two will be throwing jinxes and hexes at each other, every other minute!"

Rachel pulled on the ends of her ponytail; it was true that they couldn't stand a second with each other. There probably wasn't even a very good reason for it too, they fought about everything and always wanted to be right. It just never worked out.

"Rachel, can you at least try to get along with my cousin?"

"I'll try, but I don't know how much good I could do," Rachel shrugged. "She probably believes everything that was said about me."

"Trust me, Rose rarely judges people," Al told her. "She likes to get to know people before she makes any kind of judgments."

**.**

After about few hours of just talking, Al decided to go looking for Scorpius and Rose since they hadn't returned. Leaving at least an hour for Rachel to read in silence.

"I'll be right here," Rachel nodded. "I mean, where would I go?"

"To hex Westerveldt?" Al suggested.

"I am not that kind of person, I'd rather play behind the scenes," Rachel rolled her eyes.

He left with wave and Rachel dove right into her book again. It was a history book about Hogwarts, the First and Second Wizarding War, and famous people. A topic that intrigued Rachel, she always wanted to know what it would be like to live in that time period.

Thirty minutes later, Rachel was interrupted.

"Is this seat empty?"

Rachel looked up, James Potter stood in the doorway. A lopsided grin plastered his face, Rachel immediately knew she had to be careful.

"Yes," she nodded. "But this one will be too if you sit down."

He smiled genuinely before sitting down. Rachel paid him no attention, rereading the paragraph about Dobby the Free Elf.

"Haven't left yet," James smirked.

"That makes two of us," she answered.

"Did you and Rose get into another fight?"

"I'm busy now, can I ignore you another time?" Rachel asked.

"Ouch," James went on trying to get her attention, but he knew that it might take weeks before she would actually carry a conversation with him. "But really, did you two get into another fight?"

She didn't say anything as the compartment door slid open and in walked Meredith Westerveldt and Co. Her blonde curls swaying from side to side as she looks at Rachel.

"Constantine, are you ready to see your boyfriend? I'm sure your summer was terrible without him."

"I'd just love to see things from your perspective," Rachel started. "But I can't seem to get my head that far up my ass."

"Smart-ass," Meredith snapped.

"I'd rather be that than a dumb-ass like you."

"Why do you do this to yourself, darling?" Meredith said sweetly. "You already have no friends."

"Then I have no problems."

Meredith then eyed James Potter, "Going after the Potter's now aren't you? One wasn't good enough?"

"You don't know anything about me, making assumptions makes you an ass."

"You're just a little slut that wants everyone's attention," Meredith sneered.

"I'm rubber you're glue, whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you."

"Go To Hell," Meredith snapped.

The train abruptly stops and Rachel says monotony, "I'm already there."

James held in a laugh, who knew watching Rachel take down someone without even looking up from her book could be funny?

"Well, I better go. See you around Westerveldt, Potter," she waved. Grabbing her bag and book, she left in a swift motion.

**.**

The sorting finished in about ten minutes, the Slytherins got seven new members, Gryffindor got five, Raveclaw received four and Hufflepuff got six.

Rachel sat reading her book alongside Al and Scorpius, who were throwing food at each other.

Some boys gave her malicious looks, girls shot her evil stares and of course her very favorite, the Headmaster needed to bring up the topic of rumors, bullies and gossip. Apparently, after the _disaster_ last year, he couldn't have fate repeat itself.

"Rachel, no reading at the table," Scorpius scolded her in a mocking manner, taking the book from her grasps. "Must I always remind you?"

"Oh, piss off Scorpius," Rachel growled. "I am not in the mood."

"Did Meredith Westerveldt get to you already?" Al asked. "What did she say this time?"

"Oh, you know, the usual," Rachel shrugged and then said in a mocking tone, "you're a bitchy slut and always crave attention. Blah, blah, blah. You're so ugly, you're sister hates you."

"Liana doesn't hate you," Scorpius tried to lighten the mood. "Nobody would hate you."

"Yeah, nobody but Rose Weasley, Westerveldt and her cronies, etc."

"Rose doesn't hate you," Al interjected. "You just make her nervous!"

"Then why does she always pick a fight with me?"

"It's probably because of your snobbish demeanor and you always make people want to get a rise out of you," Scorpius shrugged.

"I'm going to bed," Rachel excused herself. "I'll see you all tomorrow."

"G'night Rachel," Al said with a smile. "Sweet dreams."

"What was that saying?" Scorpius asked. "Don't let the bugbeds bite!"

"Bedbugs," Al interjected.

Rachel rolled her eyes before picking up her book and walking out of the Great Hall.

**.**

"There goes Constantine," Fred coughed.

"I could barely carry a conversation with her, Fred," James sighed.

"Can't call it off now, mate," Fred shrugged. "We did seal-sies, remember?"

"Just say _'we sealed it'_," James rolled his eyes.

Completely ignoring James, Fred went on, "I mean, not pranking Jones is already hard on me!"

"A hundred galleons, my friend, is at stake," James sighed. "Why did you have to do _her_?"

"Shut it with the whining," Fred waved it off. "You needed a challenge and Rachel Constantine is there for a challenge."

"You could've done anyone and you picked her?"

"Yup."

"She has bad press around her, all those rumors with the teachers and beating Rose out of almost every test. I mean, that has to be some sort of revolution, Hermione Weasley, née Granger's daughter was beat at her own game."

"So, she's smart and has rumors about sleeping with teachers," Fred shrugged. "Not that bad."

James gave him a look.

"Okay, fine, it's kind of bad."

"Are you two talking about Rachel Constantine?"

The two boys looked up to see Ariana spreading butter on a roll. She looked at the two, with wide-green eyes.

Fred looked about ready to jump from nerves, "Yeah."

"You two shouldn't judge her," Ariana said slowly. "She's been through a lot, hasn't she?"

"Yup," James popped the 'p', Fred looked about ready to explode at James for putting this kind of pressure on him. James knew that Fred was just being melodramatic, like usual.

Ariana gave them a small smile before leaving the Great Hall as well.

"Welcome home James," Fred muttered. "Welcome home."

**.**

Rachel wished there was a window in their dormitory, then she could stare out into the stars without needing to go to the Astronomy Tower.

Wearing her silk pajamas, she lies on her bed and reads her book. Rachel knew she had a limited amount of alone time before her dorm mates came in and shot her disgusted looks and made lots of noise.

Loud yells came from below and she knew it was a matter of time before her dorm mates would be up.

"Eh my god," Leslie Hale said. "If it isn't teacher's pet Constantine."

Rachel didn't say anything as she pretended to be fully immersed in her book.

"Why'd you even come back?" Kylie Lester sneered.

No word came out of Rachel's open mouth as a conflicted look came over her face.

"It's amazing that Clifton wasn't fired, he should be, for sleeping with a student," Cassidy Reynolds flipped her hair.

Rachel rolled her eyes, with one flick of her wrist, the bed curtains floated around her and she was consumed in complete darkness.

"Welcome home," she muttered to herself.

* * *

**A/N: Come on! Review you guys! Yes, I'm another review hungry author. But I do appreciate every single one of them.**

** A lot of these chapters will be sort of short and others will be long. Sorry about that...**

**I'm going to put a lot more James in the next chapter, with a tinge of Rose here and there. I'm absolutely putting in Meredith, because she's like the main antagonist in this story.**

**My friend helped me with the comebacks, so I can't take credit for all of it. She actually came up with most of them because she's extremely witty and quick with those while I'm slow and... not witty. So yeah... Except for the rubber and glue, I'm sure everyone knows that one.**

**I'm still trying to rewrite Ariana/Fred but I can't seem to put it into words yet. I've got a general idea, but the words aren't flowing, as I liked them too.**

**Read and Review. Tell me what I'm doing well and what I'm doing wrong on. Tell me your favorite and least favorite character stuff like that.**

**I know this will sound really weird but... my favorite character is always the minor ones.**

**Until Then.**


	5. Typical

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize, credit goes to JK Rowling.**

**Enjoy.**

**.**

**The Lion and the Snake**

**Typical**

**_I restore myself when I'm alone._**

**_-Marilyn Monroe_**

**.**

Rachel pulled on the ends of ponytail. Nervously, she bit her lip and left the dormitory. Adjusting her tie, she blinked and saw that no one was in the common room.

The soft steps of her converses clacked against the ground. Everything was so quiet and she hoped she could get through the day without any trouble.

But it would only be a matter of time before Meredith would throw a bomb at her perfect day. Never mind, Rachel hated Hogwarts and many of the people within it.

They always say that if you're bullied, you have to talk to an adult. They would help you. But it was all lies; they'll never understand anything. They couldn't even prevent any of the rumors or anything that happened to her. The Professors or any adult always thought she was playing around but no one understood.

**.**

Rachel sat next to Scorpius in Transfiguration like normal; Al decided to sit next to his cousin. The Slytherins were having Transfiguration with the Gryffindors.

Professor Ronan was talking about what they were going to learn this year and Rachel was having a hard time concentrating. She casted the muffling charm around her bed to block out the girls in her dorm, it was bloody annoying.

Unfortunately, Meredith was Gryffindor in her year. She just had to sit in front of Rachel and Scorpius, throwing flirty looks both Scorpius's and Albus's way. She gritted her teeth and bit the inside of her lip to keep from killing Meredith, but Rachel needed to keep calm.

"Miss Westerveldt, if you took this class to turn around and make googly eyes at Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy, I suggest you drop this class," Professor Ronan told her sternly.

Meredith turned around, not even a slight blush coming to her face, "I'm so sorry Professor, but I can't deny the obvious chemistry between Scorpius and I."

Rachel raised her eyebrows in surprise. _Obvious Chemistry_? Was this girl out of her mind?

"Why yes, Miss Westerveldt. If it makes it any easier for you to concentration, I say you move across the room."

"I'm fine here, Professor. I'll pay attention from now on," Meredith smiled sweetly.

Professor Ronan turned back to giving his long lecture and many of the students tuned out.

**.**

Rachel studied her transfiguration book thinking deeply, but Meredith herself interrupted her. A small cat in her arms, that jumped on the table and walked over to Rachel.

She pulled away immediately.

"What's wrong Constantine? Are you afraid of cat? I can totally see why you're not a Gryffindor," Meredith smiled sweetly.

"Get it away from me," Rachel stated slowly. The cat crawled closer to her, a curious look in its eyes.

"Why? It's just a cat," Meredith shrugged.

It wasn't because Rachel didn't like or was scared of cats; it was more of the fact that she was allergic to them. When they licked her, her skin would redden. When they got near, she would start to cough and found it hard to breath.

Rachel thought for a second, Meredith was out to get her. She knew it; all Meredith wanted was for Rachel to be gone.

"Westerverldt," Rachel said shakily, her mind spinning. "I'm being serious."

"You are scared of a tiny little kitty," Meredith mocked.

Rachel choked down a cough as the cat climbed into her lap and started to lick her fingers. She pushed the cat off her lap and got up from the table.

"Stay away from me," Rachel said through gritted teeth, her fingers were starting to swell slightly.

Meredith shrugged as Rachel walked away from the blonde. Leaving her things at the table.

**.**

"Go after her," Fred nudged James. They had watched Meredith freak Rachel out with a cat. Seriously? A cat, a tiny kitty cat.

"Why?"

"Bet, remember?"

"Later."

"Perfect moment is going to be lost," Fred, sung.

"Fine," James sighed. Getting up, he grabbed his bag. He then noticed that her bag was left at the table with a book.

"Go," Fred pushed him. "You'll lose her."

"Going, going," James, said quietly.

He rolled his eyes at Fred and left the hall. Rachel was nowhere in sight and he looked around for dark hair. Walking down the hallway, he wished that he brought the Marauder's Map.

"Rachel!" James called. Spotting a small figure leaning against the wall, her eyes closed, and breathing slowly and softly.

"Leave me alone, Al," she states slowly. "I'm not feeling good."

James noticed the red marks on her hands. Where did those come from?

"It's sort of disturbing that you think I'm Al," James told her.

She blinked once and looked James in the eye. Her green eyes weren't like Al's, which was an emerald. They weren't like Jones' eyes that were tinged blue. They were not like anybody's he'd ever seen, her sister, Liana, didn't even have the same color as her.

They were a celery color, with no other color in them. Just one solid color, with of course, the little black pupil in the center and the white around her eyes.

"Go away," she said. Her voice was raspy and quiet, like she had coughed a lot.

"What happened?"

"Nothing, I told you to go away, did I not?"

"Seriously, Constantine. Everyone saw what happened with Meredith," James said.

"Potter, I'm being serious. Go. Away."

She turned around and walked back to the Great Hall. Leaving me in the hallway, James sighed and left to the Gryffindor Tower. Why was she so difficult to work with?

**.**

Meredith smiled when Rachel cringed at her cat. Watching Rachel fidget and ask for her to get the cat off of her, Meredith wanted to laugh out loud.

"Meredith," Rose snapped. "What is wrong with you?"

"What do you mean, Rosie?" Meredith asked sweetly. "I thought you didn't like Constantine."

"I don't like her," Rose said angrily. "But it doesn't mean you could mess with her left and right. She's allergic to cats!"

Rose only knew this because in first year, a cat got to close Rachel and she froze in fear. The Al told her that Rachel was allergic to cats and it never ended well when a cat got to close to her.

"Well, I don't think you should be mad at me," Meredith flipped her hair. "I was helping you out. You can get a head in your studies now."

"So how's your cousin?" Meredith went on.

"Which one?"

"Oh you know, the good looking one."

Rose stared blankly at Meredith.

"God, Rosie, I meant James."

"I guess he's fine," Rose shrugged. "But he and Fred are doing their stupid bets again."

"Bet?" Meredith asked.

"Almost every year they do these really stupid bets, but they stopped after their friend Ariana and Fred got hurt," Rose shrugged.

"What is the bet this year?"

"I think," Rose thought about it for a second. "I don't remember, you should ask him."

"Got it, Rosie," Meredith smiled sweetly. "See you around!"

**.**

"Did you get any closer to Constance?"

"Constantine," James corrected.

"I know, but Rachel Constance has a ring to it. Besides, Constantine is way to... long."

"Why'd you pick her?"

"I already explained," Fred rolled his eyes. "She's a challenge and you need a challenge."

"You're not telling me something," James pouted.

"That would be?"

"You tell me."

"You told me that I wasn't telling you something, so I ask you, what am I not telling you?"

"Something... important."

Fred rolled his eyes James wouldn't understand his motive. But one day...

"Come on Freddie, why did your really pick Rachel?"

"The reason is for me to know and for you to find out," Fred smiled.

James groaned at his cousin, why was he like this? Why were there no exact answers? It was terribly confusing and annoying for James.

"Don't whine Jamie," Fred waved. "Now tell me, what should I get Jones for her late birthday present?"

"_Late_?"

"Yes, late," Fred put extra emphasis on late. "You forgot to remind me over summer break her birthday was the last day in August!"

"Yeah," James scratched his head, "sorry about that."

"It's fine, what should we get her?"

"We?"

"You're part of this now."

"Prat."

"Egotistic Prat."

Fred is never at a lost for words.

**.**

Rachel was not prepared for Charms class that day, not wanting to see Professor Clifton. Especially after what happened last year.

Students were already sitting in class and she saw Al and Scorpius sitting on the tables. They were talking up some girl who was wearing and outfit that was a disgrace to the female gender.

_And I'm the slut_, Rachel thought sarcastically to herself.

"I didn't think you two would sink that low," Rachel said in a loud cold voice.

The girl turned to her with a disgusted face and passed Rachel with one word, "Slut."

"Oh come on Rachel," Al nudged her. "It was for fun, girls are so gullible."

"Maybe it's because you two were so believable," she told them with an eye roll.

"Maybe, or they can't deny the Potter charm."

"It was all me, mate," Scorpius gave him a push. "All me."

"Being around you two is like having a cancer to the soul."

"Don't say that Rachel," Al laughed. "You _love_ us."

"Love may be too strong of a word," Rachel wrinkled her nose.

They chuckled as she sat down next to Al; he was better at Charms than Scorpius. Rachel had a reputation in academics to uphold. Even if any reputation she had here was an absolute lie.

"Now class," Professor Clifton started. His eyes landed briefly on Rachel but she deflected his glance with a cold expression. "I'm going to give you the class to work on an essay about all the charms you remember from last year."

Rachel started to scribble down everything she remembered, the class burst into chatter as he let them talk, sit and do whatever they wanted during work time.

"Rachel, what'cha scribbling about?"

"_Accio_, _Wingardium Leviosa_," she muttered. Trying to remember every charm from the last five years. Paying absolutely no attention to the two boys staring at her.

**.**

"James!" Meredith's melodious voice rung out through the Great Hall, she came flouncing towards James with princess like elegance.

"Yes?" he asked politely. James was on important business, talk to Al before dinner started and before Rachel sat down next to him.

"I want to know about the bet happening between you and Fred," she said in a light voice but demanding tone.

"How do you even know about it!? James asked bewildered.

"Rosiekins," Meredith shrugged. "Now what is this bet about?"

"You have to promise not to tell anyone," James told her sternly, looking around for Al, Scorpius and Rose.

"Promise," she smiled sweetly.

"Okay, Fred and I do a bet every single year," James started. "But we stop since someone got hurt. Fred proposed that we do it this year because it's our last year here."

"But what's your bet?"

"Uh... I've got to go," he said quickly. Al and Scorpius had just entered the Great Hall, laughing and joking around. No Little Constantine in sight.

He took a mad dash towards the two and jumped in front of them.

"James," Al said warily.

"Al, Scorp," he greeted them. "I have a question for you two."

"That is?" Al requested.

James sighed, trying to put his question into words without embarrassing himself, "Little Constantine, what does she like to do?"

Al scoffed, "Why would you care or even want to know?"

"Survey," he offered up weakly.

"Rachel likes..." Scorp started.

"Being known as Rachel Constantine, not slut—"

"—Bitch—"

"—Whore—"

"—Or, Liana, Katherine, and Melanie's baby sister—"

"—Reading—"

"—History—"

"—Her hair in a ponytail—"

"—Doing homework—"

"—Being on top—"

"—Winning—"

"—Last of all, being the best that no one ever was."

"Any normal things?" James asked. Everything they just said sounded like the vague version of Rachel, like they really didn't even know her.

"Well," Al said slowly. "I don't think she'd want us to tell anybody."

"Why?"

"You need to find out on your own," Scorpius answered. "This is just cowardly, asking her best friends for answers on herself?"

"And you call yourself a Gryffindor," Al snorted. "Go ask her yourself. We gave you the basics."

"That's the problem," James groaned. "She doesn't elaborate on any conversation with me. It's usually snark comments and nothing more."

"Your problem," Al shrugged. "Ahh, here she comes."

It was true, Rachel was walking towards the three, her head in a book and she looked terribly conflicted about something. She wasn't even reading as the book was upside down.

"Potter, Al, Scorpius," she greeted the three boys before sitting down, her ponytail whipping into Scorpius's face.

"Rachel," Al and Scorpius said simultaneously.

James on the other hand, greeted her with, "Constantine."

It was the typical first day for everyone and the day Rachel was exactly expecting. (Minus the cat and Meredith or course)

* * *

**A/N: Hola! How's it going? I'm excited, next chapter involves James. A lot of him.**

**How do you like Meredith? She knows her enemies weak spots and I think she's evil. Of course, she's going to do a lot worse than that in this story. I like the name Meredith and for some reason I always like the evil characters or the antagonists. Except Voldemort, I mean, who even likes him?**

**I'm rambling, thanks for all the reviews. I appreciate them all. I really do.**

**Read and Review. Tell me what's well, what's bad, what's amazing, what's terrible. I'm just repeating it really... Who's your favorite character? Who's your least favorite character? Who do you want more of? Do you want Rose vs. Rachel? Or do you want more Meredith vs. Rachel? You tell me!**

**Until Then.**


	6. Rumor Has It

**Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to JK Rowling.**

**Enjoy!**

**.**

**The Lion and the Snake**

**Rumor Has It**

**_I may climb perhaps to no great heights, but I will climb alone._**

**_-Cyrano de Bergerac_**

**.**

James found no progress in making Rachel fall in love with him, as she didn't choose to talk to him in anyway. She was usually found buried in the same book, something about the Second Wizarding War; or choosing to ignore Meredith (or James) and her cronies by reading the same book.

She could also be found reading anywhere, just the same book continuously in her hands.

James started to wonder why she read the same book so often. He knew Rachel was an avid reader and could finish a book quickly, but she seemed to be reading the same book for ages.

One day he found Rachel reading the same book outside. The sun was shining, the breeze was warm and Rachel was wrapped in a cloak. Her face pale in the suns glow, hark brown hair tied in a high ponytail as she was writing in the book she was reading.

"Afternoon Constantine," he greeted her. Taking a seat, she looked up. Her eyebrows creased in thought.

"What do you want?" she asked suspiciously.

"Can't two friends sit together in peace?"

"We're not friends."

"Yeah we are," he smiled goofily at her. "You're my brothers friend so that makes you my friend."

"No it doesn't, go talk to _Liana_ or something," Rachel sneered her name in some sort of disgust.

"What's going on between you and Liana anyways?" James asked out of the blue. Liana was a seventh year Ravenclaw and she acted as though she didn't have a younger sister at the school.

"Do you annoy people as a hobby, or is that just your personality?" she asked monotony.

"Personality, _love_," he smiled at her. He knew she was avoiding the question, but he was going to find out one way or another.

Rachel stiffens visibly, "Don't call me that."

"Why?"

"Don't say unless you mean it," she says coldly. Turning back to her book, James looks over her shoulder. Rachel was writing words into the margin and underlining random lines.

In one swift motion, James turns her face towards his and lift her chin up to face him, "And if I did mean it?"

For a second, a soft mellowness seeped into her green eyes. But it quickly becomes cold and she turns away, "No one ever means it."

"Why would you say that?" he asked her curiously.

"Not unless you're really in love with the person, it doesn't mean anything," Rachel shrugs as she writes something down. The wind blew her hair back and she wrapped her cloak closer around herself.

James contemplated what she was trying to say and he seriously thought that she should be a Ravenclaw. But something set her apart from a Ravenclaw, the amount of ambition and determination she had. The way she could sneak around and pull the rug from under your feet. Her instinctive way she handled situations and how to survive the rumors and name-calling. She was keen, sly and a Slytherin.

He watched the water ripple in the lake and the breeze whizz pass his ear. Everything was calm and all you could hear was the breeze, trees rustling, bird chirping and the faint noise of a quill scratching paper. Rachel, of course, was still writing and reading away.

"What are you reading about?" James asked curiously.

She looked up in surprise, "Dobby, a free elf."

"Dad told me about Dobby," James chuckled. "He always tried to save his life but ended up hurting him more than saving."

"That's interesting," she says airily. "I'm heading in."

James just watched as she picked up her belongings and left him outside. _Why couldn't she be like Liana?_

* * *

_Dear Rachel,_

_How are you? How is Liana? Katherine's wedding is scheduled for during break, so both you and Scorpius could attend it. She's picked out her dress and everything. Katherine is just so excited._

_She would like you to distribute the invitations, I know it's sort of early but Katherine really wants a head count of who's coming. You know how she is._

_Melanie is also coming back from the states, or wherever she left too. You know how Melanie is she'll go anywhere. I just hope she gets married soon. I have four daughters and I want them all to be married, happy and loved. She hasn't been sending any sort of letters; I just hope she isn't dead. Maybe she got into a car accident, you know that muggle vehicle that has wheels?_

_I shouldn't jump to conclusions, I'm sure my eldest daughter isn't dead. It's very unlikely._

_Now, Rachel, I hope you're doing well. Please don't take anything Liana says to heart, she can get out of hand when she gets upset._

_Sincerely Yours,_

_Mother_

* * *

Rachel threw the letter into the fire; this was all she got after not seeing her parents for months. It made her feel sick to the stomach.

Her parents never paid any attention to their youngest daughter to her in other words. It was always beautiful Liana, sweet Katherine or daring Melanie. Rachel was just the fourth wheel, which was funny because the saying was, _'the third wheel'_.

One day, she'll be the shining star. It was all she wanted...

**.**

"All alone again?" Meredith asked in a sickly sweet voice.

"Keep talking, I always yawn when interested."

"So I heard about your sister's wedding."

"Why would you even care?"

"I got invited," she smiled sweetly.

"And why would I care?"

"Isn't she your sister?"

"No, is she really?" Rachel asks sarcastically.

"You're an annoying little bitch."

"Then why did you come over here in the first place?"

"Did you hear about the new rumor?" she asked, observing her nails. Rachel dropped her book on the ground and stared at Meredith's perfection.

**.**

"Al! AL!" Lily exclaimed. She came barreling towards her brother, a frantic look in her eyes.

"What's up, Lily?"

"Rumor, rumor," she said under her breath.

"Okay, about?"

"Rachel, Rachel," she went on, fanning her face.

"Stop repeating things and I mean, what about Rachel?"

"Not good, not good," Lily says dreamily.

"Lily, are you feeling okay?" Al asked worriedly. His sister was almost never like this, unless something really bad happened.

"Yeah, yeah," Lily waved it off. "I'm fine—"

With that, she fainted into her brothers' arm.

**.**

"Did you hear the rumor?" Fred asked James.

"I've been hearing a lot," James shrugged. "A student was trying to seduce a teacher, a teacher trying to seduce a student, someone set our headmaster's robes on fire, someone set up a therapy office in the room of require—"

"The one about Rachel— Therapy office in the Room of Requirement?"

"Rumor, mate," James nudged him. "Now the other rumor?"

"Oh right..." Fred looked up thoughtfully. "Hmm, I seem to have forgotten."

"Tell me, Fred," James demanded. "You don't want to go to Hospital Wing looking worse than after _'The Incident'_."

Fred held his hands up in surrender, "Okay, okay, let me just remember."

There was a moment of silence as Fred recollected his thoughts and James gave him a menacing stare.

"Oh yes," Fred gave him a smile. "Never mind, it's not plausible."

"Weasley," James growled.

"Yes?"

"Apparently..." Fred wiggled an eyebrow at James. "She's a boyfriend stealer, she stole Kaitlyn Janice's boyfriend, fancy schmancy Edmund Hale."

"Is there any proof?"

"Mate, this is a rumor. Rumors usually don't have evidence, people just believe it."

"What does Hale have to say about this?"

"Well..." Fred had a weak smile on his face.

**.**

Rachel walked aimlessly though the halls, her face in her book. She just walked, walked and walked around the school. Turning a corner every now and then, not knowing where she was going.

Thoughts drifted through her mind and she wondered why she didn't just stay in the locked room.

_I knew I should've stayed at the Malfoy Manor._

_Who is Kaitlyn Janice?_

_Come to think of it, who was Edmund Hale?_

_Why is the Hogwarts student population so daft?_

_What has the world become!?_

She was so busy just thinking and not reading that when she finally looked up, she found herself in front of the Gryffindor Portrait Hole. _(A/N: Yes, it did deserve capitalized letters.)_

Before she knew it, the portrait swung open and she found herself face to face with Potter, James Potter. He froze and took the sight of the little girl in. She was staring at him, a conflicted look on her face. Al popped his head out the side and looked at her. Fred popped his head out the other side and waved at Rachel.

"Rachel!" Al exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Taking a walk," she shrugged.

"To the Gryffindor Tower?" Fred asked with a quirky smile.

"I got lost," she lied. "Never really been to this part of the castle."

'Well, James," Al said with a sigh. "You got your wish, you wanted to see her and she's right in front of you."

"Al, don't throw this on me," James turned to his brother. "You want to know all about this subject as much as I bloody do!"

"Yes, but you're the Gryffindor here and you'll ask the questions."

"But you're her best friend and you two communicate better," James told him.

"What does communication skills have to do with this?"

"Number one, every time I talk to her, she throws some rather mean comment back."

"And it always makes my day brighter," Al smiles.

"You two are both cowards," Fred declared.

Rachel had proceeded to opening her book and was about to walk away when Fred pulled her back by the arm. Causing her to drop her book, in which she was holding upside down once again.

"Don't touch me," she says coolly. Leaning down, she picked up her book and looked at the three boys. "What do you want?"

"Okay, got it," Fred told her. "You're not like the rest of the female population. Uh...Jamie wants to ask you questions."

"Jamie?" she asked.

"Jam Pot here!" Fred pointed towards James Potter.

"Jam Pot?" she asked again. _Jam Pot_? Really?

"That's what Lily called him before she could say his full name," Al shrugged.

"Don't remind me," James growled. "So, are you going to answer our questions?"

"You never asked any, you gits," she said coldly.

"No need to get cold, Rachel," Al told her. "Somewhere private."

Rachel was then submitted to follow the three boys to wherever they were taking her too.

"If you three try anything funny," Rachel said in a warning tone. "I didn't beat your cousin because she took off of studying."

"We know, _Constance_," Fred winked at her.

"_Constantine_," she said through gritted teeth.

"Do you really believe your best friend would do something to you like that!?" Al asked in feigned horror.

"You can't trust anybody these days," Rachel shrugged. Out of the blue, she tried to make a run for it since she really didn't want to talk to these three.

"What will it take for you to trust us?" Al panted. "I'm your friend!"

"A friend and two hooligans," she muttered. "I don't want to be here right now."

The four were running down the corridors chasing little Rachel, who wouldn't cooperate. She stopped after she turned random corners, Rachel needed to take a breather.

"Gotcha!" James exclaimed. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her closer to him.

She nearly screamed and she struggled to get out of James's grasp.

"Let. Me. Go!" she exclaimed.

"I think that's the loudest you've spoke to either of us!"

"Would you feel safer if Scorpius was here?" Al suggested.

Rachel thought for a second before saying, "I'd feel safe if you'd get your hands off of me and yes, Scorpius being here would be nice."

If Rachel had to put her trust in somebody, it would be her cousin. He was there since her birth! The two were born twelve hours apart on April 12th. Scorpius, of course, was born before her.

James lets her go and she stand in front of the three, a disgruntled look upon her face. Her arms across her chest, she looked at them expectantly.

"Coming?" Al asked.

"Scorpius," she told him evenly.

"Fine," they groaned. A content, malicious smile spread across her face and she took a mad dash to wherever.

"RACHEL!" Al exclaimed.

"CONSTANCE!" Fred yelled.

"CONSTANTINE!" James hollered.

"Better luck next time," she yelled back before turning a corner.

* * *

**A/N: No reviews :(**

**You see James is here and there. Then there's Fred and Al! You oughta love 'em. Of course Meredith also had to be in it because I enjoy writing Meredith. Then I added Little Lily Luna because she asked me to very politely.**

**Check out this story by me on Fictionpress: s/3097574/1/Stolen-101**

**The next chapter might have just a bit of drama in it. Just a bit. I also decided to update every Thursday, or at least try too. **

**Read and Review. Tell me what you like, what you hate, who you want more of, who you want less of. Tell me your favorite character, least favorite character, anybody you want to know more about of. I value your opinion, very much.**

**Until Then.**


	7. Constantine, Jones, Weasley, Westerveldt

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! Anything you recognize belongs to JK Rowling.**

**ENJOY!**

**.**

**The Lion and the Snake**

**Constantine, Jones, Weasley, Westerveldt**

**A loving heart is the beginning is the beginning of all knowledge.**

**-Thomas Carlyle**

"Constantine," someone growled. "Move."

Rachel spun around and looked into the tall girls' eyes. Dominique Weasley stood in front of her, hands on hips and glaring at Rachel with all the hatred in the world. Roxanne Weasley and Ariana Jones stood in behind her.

"Go around, Weasley," Rachel said monotony.

"I don't understand why you can't move a few feet over for us to pass through."

"I don't understand why you can't go around."

"Dom," Ariana countered timidly. "We can just go around."

Dominique had other ideas, her eyes blazed with fire and she seemed angry at Rachel. Why? Nobody knew, Dominique and Rachel had almost no contact with each other for the last few years.

"Be quiet, Ariana," Dom snapped. "You are just a damn slut."

"Maybe if you ate some of that makeup you could be pretty inside too!"

"You stole Kaitlyn Janice's boyfriend."

"If you had a boyfriend, he's sure as hell isn't with you for your personality," Rachel rolled her eyes.

"All you want is attention," Dom sneered. "Liana is prettier, Katherine is smarter and Melanie has more guts."

"Get to know me before making assumptions," Rachel said coldly.

"I don't need to get to know you because for one, everyone knows who you are and what you are."

"Yeah, and that is?"

"A slutty, little bitch that wants nothing more than attention," Dom said bitterly.

Rachel looked Dom square in the eye; everyone in the Great Hall was watching the two. If it had something to do with Rachel, well, everyone was ready to spread the next rumor.

"Let me guess," Rachel said in a mocking tone. "Your parents didn't hug you enough as a kid?"

Her face snapped to the side and she stood there shocked. Dom's hand was still raised, anger blatantly evident on her face. Rachel's cheek burned, she was trembling from the sudden and unexpected attack.

**.**

"What's everyone staring at?" James asked as he walked into the Great Hall. Everyone was crowding around something and even the teachers couldn't break it up.

A slapping sound ripped through the Great Hall and James knew it was probably a catfight. Catfights never happened in the Great Hall, it happened _outside_ of the Great Hall. Huge Difference.

"Serves you right," his cousin's voice sounded through the Great Hall.

"Resorting to violence, now are we?" an all too familiar voice said coldly. Her voice was steady, calm and cool. James just couldn't match the voice to a face he knew.

If this was a catfight, Dom was sure going to be in trouble. She had a knack for getting in trouble, especially for getting into some sort of fight with another girl. It was always verbal and James was surprised that she had hit another person.

"Dom! Stop!" his other cousin yelled. Fred was wrestling his way through the crowd just like James, but he was to late as Dom slapped Rachel on the other cheek.

Fred stepped in the middle of the two girls and held his hands out as though he were trying to protect the girl behind him. The girl that would never talked to him. Hogwart's slut, that's who she was.

"Get out of here, Fred," Dom snapped. "You're not part of this."

"No Dom," Fred told her firmly. "Nobody gave you any right to hit her."

"She deserved it!"

"What did she do to you?"

"So much that you don't know!"

"Then why don't you tell me? Her!? Your Family?!"

"You have nothing to do with this," Dom shoved Fred. "You don't even care about her! What are you two? Lovers?"

She sneered the word as though it were poison. Not even the soft footsteps of Rachel leaving interrupted the two from fighting.

"We're not lovers," Fred said angrily. "But she doesn't mean nothing to me."

Dom crossed her arms and stormed away from her cousin, shoving anyone and everyone out of her way.

"And you!" Fred turned to his own sister.

Roxanne shrunk away from her older brother. When Fred got mad, it was best to just leave it be and let him yell.

"You're head girl!" he exclaimed. "Why didn't you do anything? You're suppose to prevent these sort of things and you let it happen! Rachel's younger than you."

There was a pause when Roxanne just gave him a pained look.

"She already has so much on her shoulders and we all just made it worse."

With that, Fred stormed out of the Great Hall. Rachel no longer there as well, everyone stared silently.

James had no idea what happened, Fred and Dom were always on good terms. Joking around with each other and a bit of teasing here and there. They almost never got into fights unless you count third year when Anders Caraway asked her out. Both James and Fred were extremely protective of their cousin and threatened to kill. (Though it was sort of an empty threat, unless he really did break Dom's heart.)

Roxanne left, leaving a lost Ariana standing there in the middle. Her mouth was slightly open and her eyes blank. She had never seen Fred act this way; he was always light and fun around her. With the occasional prank and snide comments here and there.

**.**

"Rose, please?" Scorpius and Al begged.

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"But we can't get up the girl's dormitory and she's locked herself in there, not even letting her roommates in!"

"Alohomora, idiots!"

"She put some spells on the door."

"Get Jacobi!"

"He called for her, but she just stays locked up in her room. I mean, she did this before during the summer, but she came out!"

"After how long?"

"Three days..."

"Your lost. She's not coming out."

"Please?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Your cousin hates me."

Scorpius and Al started to laugh. They laughed as thought it were the funniest thing in the world.

"What are you two laughing at?" Rose snapped irritated.

"She thinks you hate her and you think she hates you!"

"So..."

"Is it true?" Al asked.

Rose shrugged. She had mixed feelings about Rachel. She was the most closed, cold and cynical person Rose had ever met. Rachel was also extremely ambitious, slightly anti-social and sometimes arrogant and annoying.

"No, get up to that room yourselves," Rose snapped before spinning on her heels and leaving. "Oh yeah, and I think your precious friend of yours finally _broke_."

**.**

"Constantine!" Cassidy yelled. "Let us in right now!"

Rachel didn't respond as she flipped through her Ancient Runes book in frenzy. From studying for Transfiguration to working on the Charms essay and Potions project, Rachel had totally forgotten about her Ancient Runes quiz.

"Rachel, please?" a calmer and more tender tone begged.

Out of curiosity she opened the door and saw Scorpius on his broom and all of her roommates were nowhere in sight.

"Are you still upset?"

"About?" Rachel asked before returning to her books. She was wearing satin pajamas that her parents got her and reciting the runes in her head.

"What happened with Dom?"

"If I cared about that at all, I would be bawling my eyes out. Two things, Scorpius, one, I don't cry and two, if I'm nothing to her then she's nothing to me," Rachel waved it off.

"Seriously?" Scorpius asked. "You cry, what were you doing in here all this time? Crying?"

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Of course not! I, Rachel Estelle Constantine, don't cry. Two, I totally forgot about the Ancient Runes test I had tomorrow!"

Scorpius rolled his eyes at his cousin, that was just so her.

"Now if you'll excuse me," Rachel pushed her cousin aside lightly. "I seem to have misplaced my History of Magic textbooks."

Typical.

**.**

"Rachel!" someone exclaimed. "Rachel Estelle Constantine!"

She turned around and saw her older sister rushing towards her.

"Liana," Rachel said simply.

"Hey Rachel!" Liana smiled innocently. Her golden curls falling into her pale face, blue eyes shining mischievously.

"What do you want?" Rachel drawled, her tone filled with boredom.

"I saw your little spat with Dominique Weasley yesterday," she told her carelessly. "I just wanted to give you a little advice and to stay away from the Weasley's and Potter's."

"You shouldn't be talking," Rachel told Liana coldly. "You're practically shagging James Potter behind every fan girl's back."

"What makes you think that?" Liana snapped at her younger sister.

"It's not so hard to look at the details every now and then," she said coldly before waltzing off in the other direction.

"Get back here, Rachel," Liana demanded.

Rachel spun around and walked towards her older sister in a slow and menacing manner, "Why? You ignored me all summer; what do you want from me now?"

"For one, you're my little sister and I care for you!"

"Care for me?" Rachel asked mockingly. "You are a poor excuse of a sister!"

"Why do you say that?"

"All last year, you did nothing to defend me. I fended off for myself and Scorpius helped me," Rachel told her in a calm and cool voice. "You don't give a damn about me."

With that, Rachel tightened her ponytail and waltzed away from her older sister. Liana was left staring blankly at where her younger sister was standing...

**.**

"Hey Rachel," James greeted her with a grin.

"What do you want, Potter?" Rachel said coolly.

"If you're going to give the cold shoulder to someone, at least give it to Dom. I didn't do anything."

"Exactly."

"What?"

"You didn't prevent it, even after she slapped me for the second time," Rachel told him.

She started to pack her bag when James grabbed her hand.

"Let me go," Rachel demanded in a sharp tone.

"Here me out."

"Why? I already have to much as it is."

"Please?"

"Does it benefit me in any way?" Rachel asked looking into his soft brown eyes.

"Depends on how you see it," James shrugged.

"How about in my perspective?" she requested.

James thought for a second. He wanted to ask her something, it wasn't about the rumor, nothing about the little spat. He just wanted to know more about Rachel. Sure, James knew that she was cousins to Scorpius Malfoy, had three older sister, a bad reputation, bad press around her around her at almost all times, and the problem of bullies. That was all he really knew about the younger girl, besides that, she was practically a stranger.

"Getting to know me is a benefit," James smiled devilishly at her.

She wrinkled her nose and replied, "Then count me out."

She returned back to packing her things away.

"Please?"

"If you want to talk to _a_ Constantine so badly, go talk to Liana."

"I don't want to talk to Liana," James rolled his eyes. "I want to talk to you."

"She's right over there."

Rachel slung her bag over her shoulder and looked up into James' eyes, tilting her head to the side she said, "See you around."

James watched her leave like any other day.

"James!" an incredibly annoying voice called his name.

He looked down to see Meredith clinging to his arm. Her golden blonde hair beautifully surrounded her face and her eyes shined up at him.

"Meredith," he says in a bored tone.

"I have question for you," she says in a sweet tone. Her arms snaked around his neck.

"Yes?" he asked.

She pulled him closer to her and she looked into his eyes, "What's this bet about?"

Innocent eyes and a pouty smile, Meredith was the perfect girl.

"Which one?"

"The one you and Fred made at the beginning of the year of course."

James raised his eyes at her. How did she know about it?

"What do you want to know?"

"What is it about?"

"Well, Fred isn't allowed to prank Ariana and I'm suppose to make Rachel fall in love with me."

Meredith smiled mischievously, "Want to put the bet on a hold?"

"Meaning?"

She pressed her soft lips to his and he pulled her closer to him. Absolute bliss.

Until someone clicking their tongue in disappointment, the two pulled apart to see Ariana standing there shaking her head.

"I thought you would refrain," she says looking into James' eyes. It was all knowing like Fred's, but a sea green that made it seem even creepier. Creepy in the familiar way... "Maybe you're not as strong as everyone says you are."

"Why don't you just get lost Jones," Meredith sneered.

Ariana chuckled lightly, reminded James so much of his own cousin.

She sidestepped the two and then look back at James, "Maybe if you try, she'll come around. You'll never know if you don't try."

Then she walked away, like nothing happened.

And that, I give you Ariana Belle Jones.

* * *

**A/N: Here's a chapter on Valentine's day and my heart is absolutely shattered into a million pieces on the ground. **

**But enough of my rather non existent love life, I'd love to thank you for the reviews! Thanks :]**

**So if any sad chapters come up, it might be because of my brokem heart :(**

**Anyways!**

**See ya! Love Ya!**


	8. Getting To Know You

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter it belongs to JK Rowling. The song at the end, Rhythm of Love belongs to the Plain White T's. Love them.**

**Enjoy!**

**.**

**The Lion and the Snake**

**Getting To Know You**

_**You can not be lonely if you like the person you're alone with.**_

_**-Wayne Dyer**_

Exploding snaps was always a fun game to play. It always made if more competitive and fun when they bet on something. Fred and James decided to exactly that the day before the first Hogsmeade Weekend.

"Want to bet?" Fred asked, his eyebrows waggling and a smirk on his lips. He had cooled down since that day in the Great Hall, but something was off. He and Ariana seemed to always know something that he didn't and James thought it was annoying. Knowing glances, smirks that made people go crazy and of course the closer those two have gotten in the last month.

"On what?"

"Speeding up the process, if I win this game you have to get Rachel to go out on a date with you this weekend."

"If I win," James thought for a second. What was Fred scared of most? What was he afraid of most? Pursuing Jones, ha, that was it.

"You have to kiss Jones."

"No!" Ariana protested. "Don't bring me into your stupid bets."

"I feel so offended that little Jones doesn't want to kiss me!" Fred feigned offense.

"Sorry, Weasley," Ariana returned to her book "I'm just not interested."

"Really?" he waggled his eyebrows at her.

She gave him a defiant look and he smirked at her.

"Something's going on here," James sighed. "Spill."

"What are you talking about?" they asked simultaneously. "Everything's absolutely normal."

"You and Fred might be more of twins than Fred is with Roxanne or you with Aidan."

"Oh shut up, James," Ariana pushed him.

"Besides," James shrugged. "I never lose at this game. So Jones, be prepared to snog my cousin."

"No way," Ariana scoffed.

They played one game, jeering at each other on who was winning.

The winner was...

Never mind.

There was a tie.

"Ha," Ariana laughed. "None of you guys win."

"Sorry to break it to you Ana," Fred apologized without sincerity. "Ties mean we both lose and carry out the bet."

"Damn it," she sighed. "Gotta to go!"

With that, she bounded out of the room so fast that she knocked over a few people in the process. Fred laughed merrily; she turned back to him with a smile before walking out of the common room.

"Now James," Fred turned to him seriously. "You have a date to ask out."

**.**

James paced back and forth, how was he going to ask out Rachel? He made out with Meredith, her worst enemy last night, this was no going to end well.

"Hey James," Al smiled. He had just come out of the Slytherin common room with Rachel and Scorpius by his side. "What'cha doing out here?"

"Can I talk to Rachel?"

"Again," Rachel told him calmly. "If it doesn't benefit me in any way, count me out."

"Give him a chance to talk," Al nudged her forward.

"Don't bud in."

"Rachel, go on," Scorpius nudged his cousin. He nudged her a bit to hard and she lost balance and fell into James' arms, a whimper escaped her mouth as the falling sensation stopped.

The two boys left and Rachel gained her composure.

"What do you want?" she asked. "Because I'm sure Liana or Westerveldt might be waiting for you."

"First of all, if you don't want people to make assumptions about you, stop making assumptions about other people," James told her.

She looked up into his brown eyes, glaring in a menacing manner.

"Second, I'm in a bit of a pickle."

"Meaning?"

"Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?"

Rachel's eyes narrowed at James. She was suspicious of what was going on, "I'd rather poke needles into my eyes."

"Wouldn't that hurt?" he asked with a smile.

"It'll be less painful than going on a date with you."

"That's mean."

"That's the point."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?" James pleaded.

"No."

"Please?"

"No," she started to walk away.

"Please?" James followed her, staying close behind.

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"No."

"Please?"

"If you insist," James says, putting his hand to his heart.

"Damn it," she mutters to herself.

"For a smart girl, you really do get tripped up with reverse psychology."

Rachel sighed, not saying a word.

"See you tomorrow at nine am, sharp," he winked before leaving the sixth year cursing herself.

**.**

"Date?" Al asked warily.

"Stupid brother, stupid date, stupid asked me, stupid Potter!"

"I'll have you know I'm a Potter too."

"Fine, stupid James Potter!"

"When I said get closer to my family, I didn't mean it in this way."

"Did you not hear all the stupid's?"

"How did he trick you?"

"Reverse psychology."

"And you're suppose to be top of the year," Al says sardonically.

"Shut up."

"This is your first date, even if it is my brother," Al told her.

"No, it's not my first date."

"Well, your first date that isn't _Carrington_."

He told her, exaggerating the name as much as possible. She hadn't seen Alexander Carrington in years and she really didn't feel like sharing anything about him.

"I guess it is," Rachel says slowly.

"You need girl friends."

"Why?"

"Because Scorpius and I are not going to help you pick out an outfit."

"I'll do that myself," Rachel grumbled.

"If you don't want to go, then go cancel it," Al urged her.

"I'm a pureblood and I was taught to be polite, and canceling is rude."

"Polite?" Al asked her.

"Okay, maybe I'm not always polite, but canceling is rude."

"Fine, go on the date," Al shook his head. "My theory is that you_ do_ want to go on this date with my ass of a brother."

"Now you're going crazy, Al," Rachel shook her head.

She smiled at her crazy friend before excusing herself from dinner. _I wonder where Scorpius is_, she thought.

**.**

Rachel woke up the next morning and groaned, remembering the date she had with James stupid Potter.

She tossed out the first things she saw in her trunk. Pair of light washed jeans; a magenta strapless shirt, a white cardigan and a pair of old dark blue TOMS. Quickly throwing her hair into a ponytail, she grabbed her bag and exited the room just as Cassidy and Leslie woke up.

"She's so got a date," she heard Leslie yawn.

Flying down the stairs, she checked her watch.

7:45.

She felt the falling sensation and she fell on the couch, wrapped in someone's arms.

"Rachel," the person drawled.

She pushed herself away and spun around. A boy lay on the couch with messy hair, sleepy eyes and a smirk.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Rachel seethed. "Don't touch me."

"Sorry,_ love_," he leaned down and kissed her cheek.

She took a step back and said harshly, "I meant it when I said, _'don't touch me.'_"

"No need to get snippy."

Rachel stepped on his toes and he winced, looking into his eyes she said, "I don't know who you are, but I really don't think you should try doing that again."

**.**

"WAKIE WAKIE!" someone yelled into James' ear.

"Shut up."

"You have a date today!"

"What?"

"Date with Rachel! My cousin!"

James' eyes snapped open to see Scorpius and Al leaning over him. They were grinning evilly.

"How did you two get in here?"

"Rose is always a help."

"Get out."

"Date!"

"Why do you guys need to help me? Help Rachel!"

"Yeah, she's a girl and she doesn't want our help."

"I've been on loads of dates, I know what I'm doing."

"This is Rachel's first date!" Scorpius exclaimed.

"And it's not with Carrington!"

"Carrington? Alex Carrington?" James asked in surprise. "Didn't he move?"

"Yeah."

"She and Alex dated?" James asked.

"Yeah," they told him simultaneously.

"When?"

"Sometime her fourth year," Scorpius shrugged.

"Are they still going out?"

"She's going on a date with you," Al drawled. "What do you think?"

"No?"

"Exactly."

"Why'd they break up?"

"I don't know," the two shrug.

"I can still vaguely remember her being pretty upset about something," Scorpius said thoughtfully.

"You're her—"

"Find out on the date, that is if she doesn't storm out on you if you ask."

"Go you two, I'll prepare for this on my own."

"Make sure she enjoys it!" Al exclaimed.

"Don't be late, she'll probably find something better to do if you are!" Scorpius warned him.

James rolled his eyes before checking the time. He had twenty minutes before the date started. Damn.

**.**

Rachel paced around, checking the time every other second. She was feeling inside, maybe it was because of nerves or the fact she skipped breakfast. Rachel preferred the latter.

9:01.

9:02.

9:05.

9:10.

9:13.

James came sauntering up to her and she crossed her arms. He was wearing a button down shirt; the buttons were messed up, blue jeans, and a sweatshirt. His hair was an absolute mess, but when was it not?

"Thirteen minutes," she told him. James blinked at her feeling very confused. "By the way, your buttons are mismatched."

He looked down and groaned, "Thirteen minutes?"

"You were thirteen minutes late," Rachel shrugged. "Fix your buttons or I'm leaving."

James started grumbling as he did so.

"I'm not in a very good mood myself," Rachel told him.

"When are you in a good mood?" James asked her.

She thought for a second, "Well, it's clearly not now."

The two started to walk to Hogsmeade, many people sending them weird looks along the way. They passed Meredith who was seething, Ariana and Fred quarreling, Liana who stopped snogging mystery boy, Lily who smiled and etc.

James rolled his eyes at the girl; he surveyed her appearance and decided that she looked pretty. She was… _unconventionally beautiful_.

"What are you looking at?" Rachel asked him curiously.

"You."

"Staring is not polite."

"Live a little."

"I'm living am I not?"

"Don't talk like that."

"Like what?"

"I am living am I not?" he tried to copy her.

"Fine, where shall we go?"

"Like that!"

"What?"

"Stop being so proper!" James groaned. "Be yourself."

"I can act in many different ways, how do you which one is the real me?" she asked, looking into his brown eyes, she tilted her head to the side in a questioning way.

He sighed she was a hopeless case.

"Maybe if you weren't so tense around people — boys in particular — had a normal voice that isn't cold, and stopped shooting snippy remarks at people," James rolled his eyes. "Then maybe you could be yourself."

"What if I am just a snippy person?"

"If your friends with Al, I'm sure you're not," he retorted. "Al has a knack for picking friends that will be in his life forever."

They walked in silence for a few minutes. Not an awkward silence, a silence that made them both comfortable in a way that was unexplainable.

"Did you and Alex go out?" he asked her.

"Alex?" she questioned.

"Carrington, Alex Carrington."

Rachel tensed, every muscle in her body became tight and she felt a cold hand close around her heart.

"Why don't we go to Honeydukes?" she asked tightly.

"Do you like sweets?"

"No, not really," she shrugged.

"Then why did you—"

"I thought maybe you like sweets."

"I don't mind having some once in a while," James shrugged.

"Where would you like to go?"

"The Three Broomsticks," he answered simply before taking her hand pulling her along.

**.**

"Move over!" Ariana growled. "I agreed to accompany you to spy on them, at least let me see!"

"Shut up Ana!" Fred shoved her lightly.

"Shut up yourself!"

"Fine, we'll both shut up."

"No," she shook her head before shoving her friend aside. "I wanna see too!"

"We'll both get caught if we keep bickering like this."

"Big words! Gold star for Fred!" she pretended to stick a sticker to his shirt.

"Why thank you, it only took me 72 hours and 26 minutes to learn it," he told her jokingly.

"Talk about getting caught," someone smirked.

Dom towered over the two, an evil smirk plastered on her face.

**.**

They were walking around Hogsmeade like any other date. Rachel kept her arms wrapped around herself and rubbed her arm every so often. James talked aloud and filled the empty silence with random stories.

She wasn't zoning out though, the stories were sort of cute in her perspective of things.

"Where are we going?" Rachel asked.

"I though you were leading us...?" James questioned.

"I was following you."

"I was following you!"

She looked around, they were in some part of the town that both of them didn't know about.

"Where are we?"

"Hogsmeade?" James offered weakly.

"Thank you Captain Obvious," she rolled her eyes. "Let's just turn around."

"I have a better idea," James smiled wickedly.

He grabbed her hand and pulling her along as he ran. Twists and turns here and there until they found themselves even more lost than before.

"Idiot."

"Okay, if we just take a left here..."

"We're completely lost."

"Don't be such a Debbie downer!"

"Well, I'm not going to be a happy camper about being lost!"

"No need to raise voices here, I'm sure if we take a few lefts, we'll find our way out."

"We're going to die and it's all your fault!"

"No need to get over dramatic either."

"Oh shut up!"

"No need to get snippy."

Rachel growled at the older boy before spinning on her heel and walked off in the other direction.

"Stop right there, short stuff," James stops her.

She glared at him in a menacing manner. He couldn't help, but notice she was showing emotion. For once in his life she wasn't cold or monotonous.

Her celery green eyes sparkled with anger and she drew herself up to her full size barely reaching— James's shoulder — and glared.

"Move, please."

"Good, good, manners are always a plus."

"Move."

"I can't just let you leave!"

"Yeah you can."

"No I can't."

She crossed her arms and glared at James even more.

"James Sirius Potter," she growled. "I am going to go back and I'm going to go work on homework."

"That's no fun," James whined. "How do you know my middle name?"

She smiled smugly, "I have my ways."

"Or you stalk me, know every single little thing about me and is already head over heels in love," he teased her.

"No chance," she tossed her hair. "If you've already forgotten, I'm a friend with your brother."

"Right," he says thoughtfully. "And I'm his blood brother and I don't know a thing about you."

"Really?" she asked. "You don't believe in the rumors?"

"No, not really, it just doesn't seem like you," he shrugged.

"You don't know me, who do I seem like?"

"You're Rachel, I don't know you, but I'm sure you're not a bitch."

She chuckles and says, "I am a bitch."

"No, you're not," James shook his head. "Don't say that about yourself."

"I know I'm a bitch, I care only for myself and I want to be better than everyone else," Rachel says. "I beat your cousin out of her own game and I don't even care when someone cries, especially if it's_ 'my fault'_."

"Doesn't mean you're a bitch."

"I throw monotonous comments to everyone and they get irritated, I'm rumored to be cheating my way into getting things my way. But are the rumors real? You won't know because you don't know me."

"But I could get to know you," James tells her. "We can start simple, what's your favorite color?"

Her green eyes blink at James' reaction before answering simply, "Cerise."

"Excuse me?"

"Cerise," she says simply. "It's a bright, deep red."

"Oh, never heard of it," James says. "My favorite color is... silver."

"Silver is a pretty color," Rachel comments earnestly.

James laughs at the way she said it and says, "Yeah, I guess it is."

So they spent the afternoon talking and trying to find their way out of the village. She smiled and laughed a few time and actually answered his questions without saying something mean or cold. James enjoyed it, Rachel was a genuine person after you got to know her. Emotion fit her well; when she was purposely being monotonous she was dull. When she showed emotion, it made her eyes shine and her face brighter.

The sun was setting by the time they reached the front doors.

James just had to ask before Rachel left, "Did you date Alex Carrington?"

She looked up, startled. Her green eyes seemed shattered and she lost the shine that she had before.

"Yes, but details are for another day."

James nods before saying, "I had a good time. How about you?"

"Surprisingly," she says. "It was fun. I guess I'll see you around."

She gave him a half wave and a weak forced smile before walking off into the direction of the Slytherin common room.

"Bye Rachel," James says to himself as he watches her leave.

Making his way up to the common room, he felt exhausted. A small smile remained on his face as he entered the Gryffindor common room and heard someone quietly singing while playing the guitar.

_We may only have tonight_

_But 'till the morning sun, you're mine all mine_

_Play the music low_

_And sway to the rhythm of love_

* * *

**A/N: Done, done and done. I think that's a wrap and the longest chapter so far in this story.**

**I hoped you liked it. Thanks for all the reviews, I love you all.**

**Read and Review.**

******See ya Next Time and check out my story on fictionpress!**  



	9. I'm Back!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter it belongs to JK Rowling. I don't own either songs, I Do belongs to Colbie Caillat.  
**

**Enjoy!**

**The Lion and the Snake**

**I'm Back**

**_It is better to be alone than in bad company._**

**_-George Washington_**

"I have an announcement," Professor Jacobi announced tiredly. "We have a student that's returning."

People immediately started to whisper about who it might be. They were all excited for a new student, or more of a return of a student.

The door opened and the voice yelled, "I'm Back!"

Girl's immediately screamed, boys cheered for him and Rachel snapped her quill into two pieces.

"It's Alex!" Al smiled. "Let's go say hi, he had a thing for you Rachel."

"_Had_, as in _past tense_," she says with a tight-lipped smile. It was forced and she picked up her fork and stabs her orange, clenching the fork so hard that her fist turned pale.

"Something wrong?" Scorpius asked her.

She turned to him, feeling like killing someone, a certain someone that is.

"Nope, nothing at all," she says before cutting her pancake violently.

"Yeah, something's totally wrong," Scorpius sat down in front of her. "The only other time you got like this was after fourth year when you practically murdered everything with your eyes."

"I did—"

"Then again, that was the year after you and Alex dated. You guys broke up at the end of the year, which was a huge mess," Scorpius said thoughtfully.

Rachel didn't say anything as she watched the girls flocked around Alex like he was a god. Boys treated him like he was their best friend.

"What did happen between you two? You never cried over him. Then the slap across the face on the last day of school in fourth year kind of gave us a hint you two were broken up."

"Shut up, Scorpius," Rachel says through gritted teeth. "I'm going to go now before I claw someone's eyes out with this fork."

She drops the fork, stashed her broken quill into her bag and left the Great Hall in some sort of anger.

**.**

Meredith walked through the hall, looking for Alexander Carrington.

She spotted Rachel sulking on the ground; she looked about ready to kill someone— anyone — that got in her way.

Hearing the voice of Carrington, she hid behind the wall and peeked out to see what was happening.

Rachel was bickering with him, or rather being blunt and non-responsive.

Meredith followed the two to the Hospital Wing, where she watched from a crack in the door that they were snogging.

She rolled her eyes and left. If Rachel wouldn't stay away from James, then she could threaten her using gossip.

**.**

"You've really grown," someone said lazily.

Rachel spins on her heels and see Alex standing before her.

"And I didn't think your ego could get any larger," she says coldly. Turning around, she continues on her journey to class, or rather to the Hospital Wing.

"You shouldn't talk to me that way," he says smoothly.

"I just wished you would just shut your mouth," she sighed.

"Why is that? You love hearing my voice."

"People change, and I despise that annoying voice of yours," she rolled her eyes. Opening the door to the Hospital Wing, she requested for a pepper up potion.

"A pepper up potion?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes, your arrival has given me quite a headache," she says quietly.

"You don't need that, all you need is this."

He leaned down and kissed her on the lips. She could feel the fire run through her veins making her feel giddy and slightly dizzy. She reacted like her fourteen year old self and wrapped her arms around him, and then she remembered what happened and pushed him away.

"Enthusiastic? You don't hate me," he said with a smirk.

"Habits are hard to break," she says running her hands lightly across her lips. Still feeling the warm shocks run through her blood. She wanted him, but she also knew he wasn't good for her. He was like a drug and she felt addicted.

"I'll see you around little Constantine," he winked before sauntering out of the room.

She stares after him, feeling angry with her.

"Dearie, are you done?"

"Yup!" she answered. Downing the pepper-up potion, she face-palmed herself in distress. Sometimes she wishes that she would just disappear from the world.

**.**

"Wait, so there's a party in the Gryffindor Tower and you want us to go?" Rachel questioned. "What is it even for?"

"Alex has return!" Al exclaimed. "So go dress in something sexy and meet us down here in five."

"Uh, thanks but no thanks," she says. "Not really in the mood for a party."

"Come on, it'll be fun!"

"For you guys after you ditch me. I'll stay here."

"You'll get to see James."

"Oh great," she says sarcastically. "The boy that got us lost in Hogsmeade!"

"Come on, it will be fun."

"Really? A party is not my definition of fun."

"Scorpius?"

"Al?"

"Do you think...?"

"Last option..."

"Stop being so creepy you gits and go to that stupid part- ahh!" she suppressed the scream as Al hauled her over his shoulder.

"Put. Me. Down!" she exclaimed. Slapping his back with every word she said.

"Party time," he says.

They get to the Gryffindor Tower and they say the password. The portrait swung open and Rachel was set down.

"Here we are."

"Yeah, I was here for thirty seconds, can I leave now?"

_And we'll remember when we said_  
_I do, I do, I do, do do do do do do do_  
_Oh baby, I do, I do, I do, do do do do do do do_  
_Cause every time before it's been like_  
_Maybe yes and maybe no_  
_I won't live without it, I won't let us go_  
_Just look at what we got ourselves into_  
_You make me wanna say I do, I do, I do, I do, I do, I do,_  
_Love you_

The singing and guitar strumming stopped signaling the end of the song. Those who were dancing burst into applause and some even cheered.

"I'm going to take a break and the next song I'm going to sing is with Lysander Scamander, who has a naturally brilliant voice!" someone says into the mike.

"I guess that's Ana," Al says. "Sounds just like her."

"Well, that lovely song is over and I'm going to go now," Rachel says, turning on her heel before running into someone.

"Rachel," someone drawled. "Nice seeing you here, didn't expect you to come."

"Alex!" Al and Scorpius gave him some kind of long and extremely complicated handshake.

"I didn't want to come here," she says sourly. "I was kidnapped."

"That's exaggerating," Scorpius waved it off. "We just carried you here."

"Against my own will," she said through gritted teeth. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to leave."

In one swift movement, Alex turned her around and pulled her hair tie out. Her hair fell down to past her shoulder and framed her face in that perfect way.

"Now, go have the time of your life," Alex pushed her.

"No," she refused stubbornly.

"You should be wearing something that isn't a school uniform," he said thoughtfully. "You need something sexier."

"No," she shook her head again.

"OI! ROSIE!" Al called for his cousin.

"Hey Al, here for the party?"

"Yup, Rachel here needs something to wear that isn't a school uniform."

Rose looked over at Rachel who was still bickering with Alex.

"Sure, but how do we get her up to the dorm?"

"Pull her or something, or confund her!"

"She's smarter that that, she'll probably dodge it or something."

"Al, shut up," Rachel said. "I don't want to be here, can I leave?"

"No, go with Rose, she'll find you something nice to wear," Scorpius tells her.

She was mumbling nonsense as she shot them all a glare and followed Rose, against her own will of course.

"Ariana," Rose interrupted her conversation with Lysander.

"Hey Rosie, Rachel," Ariana says with a smile.

"Al wants me to find something that will fit Rachel, but also looks nice," she says. "I think she's about your size."

Ariana was a small person in general. Not as tall as Roxanne or Dom, but sometimes her personality made up for the lack of height. Sometimes. _(A/N: You'll know more in the AJ/FW story)_

"Ly, set up for the song and I'll be right back!" she says. "Now Rachel would you like a dress?"

The pink dress Ariana wore didn't clash with her hair at all, it actually made her eyes pop in a weird way.

"I don't even want to be here, if anything, can you help me leave without my cousin tracking me down?"

Ariana laughed, but answered, "Sure, but at least stay for one more song and James really wants to talk to you."

"Fine."

"Oh, and stay clear of the punch," she warned. "I'm sure Fred spiked it."

"Thanks and I'll keep that in mind."

"Gotta go, it's our turn!"

She ran up the stage with Ly by her side.

Rose and Rachel parted ways and the she and Lysander started to sing. The band was playing in some sort of fast motion.

James spotted Rachel glaring off into space. Not staring, _glaring_. She didn't seem very happy nor wanting to be there. With one glance, he could tell she was feeling uncomfortable around the loud noises.

"Hey," he greeted her with a smile. James could now proudly say to Fred that he knew the girl to some extent.

"Hello," she says in a monotonous tone.

"Did Al and Scorpius bring you here?"

"They kidnapped me," she says in a dead serious tone with a dash of amusement. "Gits, the both of them."

"Hear hear," James agreed.

"If you don't want to be here, why don't you just leave?"

"They're going to track me down like a wild animal and drag me back here," she sighed.

"Wanna dance?" he offered.

She looked up as though to think, biting her lip she shrugged in reply.

"Yes or no?"

"I don't know," she shrugged again. "I only know how to ballroom dance."

"Really?" he asked in surprise. "Haven't you ever been to a normal party?"

"No, not really," she shook her head.

"Wow, you have a sad childhood."

She just shrugged in reply.

"She has a lovely voice," Rachel commented.

"She does, doesn't she," James said thoughtfully. "I'm just surprised she hasn't messed up on any of the words yet."

"Why?"

"I think that's her place to tell you," he answered.

Rachel nodded before asking, "Are you excited for Alexander's return?"

James thinks for a second, "He's my friend, of course."

"Hesitant," she tells him.

"What?"

"You hesitated to answer the question."

"How about you?" James asked. "Are you excited for his return?"

"No," she answered instantly. "I'm sort of_ terrified_."

"Why?"

"He's not what everyone believes him to be," she says slowly.

"Why?"

"Girls think he's a sex god," Rachel said as she applauded. "Guys either envy him or wants him to be their friend. A male version of Meredith Westerveldt."

"You barely know him," he tells her.

"I know him better than you think. We courted, remember?"

"Details?"

"Another day... _James_," she answered. It was probably one of the first times she actually called him by his first name without forcing it out. It sounded foreign coming out of her mouth, foreign and weird.

"Right," he nodded.

James realized they were walking towards the portrait hole and that she was looking around as though watching for something or rather someone.

"Leaving already?" a lazy voice asked.

Rachel stiffened and closed her eyes; she seemed to be stopping herself from doing something.

"Hey mate," James greeted his friend.

"Yes, I'm leaving," Rachel, answered Alex without turning around.

"I didn't even expect you to come," someone cooed. The annoying voice of Meredith reached Rachel's ear and she wanted to claw her eyes out by then.

"You thought wrong then, Westerveldt," she says monotony.

"Face me when you speak, Constantine," Meredith sneered. "Didn't those pureblood parents of yours teach you anything?"

She slowly turned around and looked Meredith in the eye coldly. Her cold, celery green eyes burned with nothingness, they were blank when she looked at Meredith, but shifting to Alex, she seemed shattered.

"I heard that when you two took an IQ test that your results were negative," she tells them before spinning on her heel and leaving the room in one swift movement.

Meredith looked scandalized and Alex smirked at her retreating figure.

**.**

Rachel pulled on the ends of her hair in distress, passing a nearby classroom she head urgent whispers.

Curiosity took the better of her and she decided to listen in. Then again, she was a Slytherin and blackmail material was always a plus.

"You told me last year that being with me was worth all of those risks," the girl voice cooed.

"I know, but it's getting to risky with Meredith sneaking around," a man's voice answered, longing in his voice.

"Meredith's at the party, nobody's here, but me," the girl murmured.

"I know, I know," he whispered. "I wish I could be with you too, but another teacher/student relationship rumor is the last thing we need."

"It's hard to see you everyday and not kiss you."

"It's hard to resist you too, _Dom_..."

Dom... Dominique... _Dominique Weasley_.

Perfect blackmail material.

"We're here alone now," Dom said seductively.

At that moment, Rachel was taking a step back when she slipped on nothing at all and fell face forward to the ground. She hit her head hard on the ground, halfway through the classroom door. A half shriek escaped her lips and she groaned when her head hit the ground.

Her vision started blurring and her head hurt like hell.

"What is she doing here!?" Dom exclaimed.

"Oh, hush up," Rachel groaned. "I'm not feeling very... well."

Her vision started getting spotty until she could barely keep her eyes open any longer.

"Be quiet, Dom," Professor Clifton hushed her. "I'll take care of this._ Obliviate_."

At that last word, Rachel lost consciousness.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews again!**

**Read my stories on Fictionpress! If you like supernatural and romantic stories, check this story out!**

_******/s/3104062/1/Crystal-Clear**_

******Put this after fictionpress . com**

******Read and Review:]  
**


	10. What does a Clock do when it's Hungry?

**Disclaimer: I hate putting these on, but I don't own anything that you recognize credit goes to JK Rowling.**

**:]**

**.**

**The Lion and the Snake**

**What does a clock do when it's hungry?**

_**Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving somsone deeply gives you courage.**_

_**-Lao Tzu**_

She woke up with a major headache and the fact she couldn't remember anything from the day before.

"Shit," Rachel snapped to herself.

"Language," someone said in a teasing voice. Looking up, her cousin stood a few feet away from her.

"Did I drink last night?" she asked him.

"No... Why do you ask?"

"My head hurts like crazy and I can't remember a thing from last night," she groaned.

"Everyone's saying someone got you drunk, the same person raped you, then you ran away and was found by Professor Clifton. Also starting up another rumor about how he raped you and that he made up some lie that you fell and hurt your head."

"That's too much to take in at once," she groaned. "How does rape even come into this story!?"

"Were you, at any point in the night, with Alex?"

"He moved, Scorp," she rolled her eyes. "Don't you remember?"

"Wait, you really don't remember anything that happened yesterday?" he asked her seriously.

"Oh my god, I've been trying to say that for the last ten minutes!"

"Merlin's beard! Your rapist must have wiped your memory, but the spell was too good and erased a days worth of it!" he paced around the room in worry.

"I'm sure I wasn't," she says uncomfortably, but calmly.

"If you don't remember, you should get checked," he says hesitantly.

"Later, please," she pleaded. "I want to sleep. Screw classes, I want to sleep forever."

"Never in my life did I think that Rachel Estelle Constantine say such a thing!"

"Shut up," she groaned.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," Rachel sunk into the pillow.

"Alex Carrington came back yesterday, what happened between you two in fourth year?"

She sighed before closing her eyes, wringing her hands in worry.

"You can tell me," Scorpius said. "Or tell Rose, she'll listen."

"She doesn't like me, plus I'm sure she'd spill the entire thing to Westerveldt."

"Don't make assumptions."

"Right..."

"Now, will you tell me?"

"No," she shook her head. "He's an idiot and I don't ever want to see his wretched face again."

"You're going to have too."

"I'm sleeping now..."

She closed her eyes and refused to reply to anything her cousin asked her.

**.**

"Okay, so you want me to talk to your cousin about her relationship with Alexander Carrington?"

"Yes," Scorpius nodded.

"You're mad!" Rose exclaimed. "I'm sure your cousin would murder me if I asked."

"She needs a friend!"

"No!"

"Please?"

"But we're not friends!"

"But you can be."

"Then persuade your cousin."

"You're the one who's better at persuading!"

"And you're her cousin, someone she'd actually listen too."

"That's a laugh, I may be older than her, but she doesn't listen to me."

"Why?"

"She knows I'm smart, but she just hates taking orders from people," Scorpius rolled his eyes at the thought of his cousin. "She thinks that she can do everything by herself and make it through life without a scratch."

"That's not going to happen, she'll need to learn to defend herself or she won't go anywhere in life."

"Meaning?"

"There's a lot more to life than getting good grades and this school."

"I know it's just her way of thinking and I can't persuade her to do anything she doesn't want to do."

"Then you better try harder because people can become reckless if they don't have any discipline."

"I'm sure she's already too disciplined," Scorpius sighed. "She needs to let lose and have fun."

"Then teach her that and if we're done, why don't we study Ancient Runes?"

"Number one, Rosie," Scorpius smirked. "Nobody in their right mind takes Ancient Runes!"

"Well, I did! Your cousin did too! Wait... You did too!"

"Number two, let's do Charms! I like Charms better."

"Git," Rose snapped.

But she still took her Charms book out and studied away.

**.**

Rachel slipped out of sleep and felt someone gently stroking her cheek. Her eyes fluttered open and she blinked at the person in front of her.

"Hey Rachel," Alex said smoothly.

"Leave, now," she gestured to the door in wild movements. "This is a nightmare, isn't it?"

Rachel had lied to her cousin when she said her memory was back. Rose's spell didn't seem to work, but she couldn't tell them that. She didn't know Rose that much, so she couldn't say she had couldn't hurt her. But Scorpius on the other hand, he was a whole other story. He was her cousin, he felt desperate for an answer and she needed to tell him something that sounded sweet to the ear. Rachel didn't want him to worry.

"You're not suppose to be back," she said in frustration. "You said you'd be gone forever! And I was glad for that!"

"No, you weren't," he shook his head. "You still _love_ me."

She growled at him, frustration burning up in her. She wanted him to be gone, she never wanted to see his face again, and he was supposed to be gone...

"You haven't denied it yet," he says mockingly. "I thought you would've been screaming at me by then."

"Shut up please," Rachel begged. "Leave and don't come back."

"That might be a problem because I go to school here."

"No, you left after your fifth year!"

"Then I came back."

"You're not supposed to be here!"

"I'm back!"

"No you're not!"

In the spur of the moment, he pressed his lips to her. Without thinking, she sunk right in and wrapped her arms around his neck. His arms snaked around her waist and he pulled her closer to him.

For what seemed like hours, they kissed until someone interrupted them with an awkward laugh.

Looking up, James stood there awkwardly. His hands shoved in his pockets, Rachel face palmed herself. This. Was. Not. Happening.

"Hey Jamie!" Alex waved. "I was just giving Rachel a proper greeting!"

With that, he sauntered away all cool like.

"I'm going to kill myself in the morning," Rachel muttered. She then started to pinch herself all over her arm, trying to wake up.

"You are awake," James told her gently.

"No, I'm not," she said. "I'm a sleep, that's why Carrington is here. I'm in a nightmare."

"You must have hit your head hard if you think this is something in your mind," James chuckled.

"This isn't..."

"Nope."

"Kill me now," she sighed in frustration. Sinking into her pillow, she grabbed the nearest book on her table and started to slam her head against it, over and over again until James stopped her.

"You'll lose brain cells."

"Great."

'Seriously though."

"Fine," she said, laying the book on the table. She picked her wand up and pointed at herself.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to erase my memory, then I'm going to transfer school so I won't have to see his damn face again."

"So... you're going to run away?"

"Yup," Rachel nodded.

He gave her a questioning look. She regarded the expression and waited for him to say something or leave.

"Coward."

"Good thing I'm not a Gryffindor," she says with mocking thumbs up. "I'm a freakin' Slytherin and I care for me, myself and I."

"How about those who will miss you?"

"Like who?" she asked in confusion. "I'm not a well liked person here."

"Al, your cousin, _me_."

"Haha, real funny," she says monotony. "If you're done, I have..."

"I was being serious," he tells her. "I came here to ask you something."

"That is?"

"What does a clock do when it's hungry?"

"How should I know," Rachel shrugged. "I didn't even know that clocks eat until today!"

James chuckled before answering, "It goes back _four_ seconds."

She cracked a smile before saying, "That was lame."

"Can you do any better?" he challenged her.

"Why did the Easter egg hide?"

"I don't know," James said after a few minutes of silence. "Why?"

"Because it was a little chicken, like you," she comments.

"I feel very offended," James held a hand to his heart. "I am no chicken, besides that joke was just as bad as mine."

"I know, but you are a chicken," Rachel shrugged. "You didn't come all this way to tell me a stupid joke."

"Fine, I didn't," James sighed. She could read him like a book, yet he could never tell what she was thinking about. "Would you like to go to the next Hogsmeade with me?"

"Did you lose to another game?"

"No."

Rachel thought for a second, looking into James' brown eyes. She felt soothed by them some how, they were light and had a dash of humor in them, and it was comforting and different.

Scorpius' gray eyes were always gentle towards her with a smile in them. He joked around, but he would never mean anything.

Al's were a sparkling, emerald green that shined with enthusiasm and determination.

Alex's were a deep chocolate brown that had so much mischief in them that it made her uncomfortable almost, but he was just so... _Alex_.

"No."

"Please, this is the last one I will ever ask you on," James begged her.

"No."

"I swear to you—"

"It's not that I don't want to go," she worded it carefully. "I just feel that we won't work out."

"It's for fun, come on, you had a good time last time too," he told her.

"I just... Do you promise it'll be the last time?"

"Yes, I cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye," he said solemnly.

"Fine," she answered. "Just please don't go blabbering off to Carrington, I have things to deal with him..."

"Got it. But, really?"

"Really."

"I thought I'd have to drug you to get you there," James sighed in relief.

"Don't be late," she told him simply. "And actually try to button your shirt correctly, please don't pay for my things, comb—"

"I know, I know," he said pulling her into a hug. "I don't need another Rosie in my life."

Rachel actually smiled to the reference, maybe having Rose Weasley as a friend wouldn't be too bad. Maybe they could get along, with a lot of debates and of course bossing the boys around.

"Thank you," she said weakly without thinking, leaning her head against James' firm chest.

"For what?"

"Being here when _he_ wasn't..."

James didn't question her, even though a million questions ran through his head. Instead, he stroked her hair lightly until she fell asleep soundly in his arms.

* * *

**A/N: HULLO! :)**

**Thanks for the reviews guys, love you all :)**

**If you guys get me to fifteen reviews, I'll update early :) Yes, I'm bribing you. Haha. I also have a lot of followers and I would like it if you guys reviewed! It'll be greatly appreciated!**

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	11. Alex Carrington?

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING! ANYTHING YOU RECOGNIZE BELONGS TO JK ROWLING!**

**Enjoy**

**.**

**The Lion and the Snake**

**Alex ... Carrington?**

_**Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.**_

_**-Aristotle**_

Liana walked down the hallway to see her cousin talking to redhead Renee or something like that. They seemed to be arguing about something and they both looked incredibly irritated.

James and Fred were looking as sexy as ever sitting a few tables down talking with Alex, Ariana, Dom, and Roxanne. They seemed to be in a heated debate about something extremely random.

But she couldn't see her younger sister anywhere.

"Excuse me, have you guys seen Rachel anywhere?" she asked.

"Hospital Wing," James answered simply.

"Now if you don't mind, Liana," Ariana said calmly. "We have some business to attend to."

The argument started up again and Ariana seemed to be winning, even though everyone was against her on it. Or at least that's how it seemed.

Liana traveled to the Hospital Wing and asked to see her sister.

"I'm sorry my dear, but she left," Madame Carpe answered.

"When?"

"About an hour ago," she said apologetically.

"Thank you, I'll be going now."

With that, Liana left to find her younger sister, again.

**.**

"Ana, I don't really know why you're defending Lysander," Fred shrugged. "He totally likes you."

"No, he doesn't," Ariana protested. "I can obviously tell if he likes me or not!"

"But he does, maybe—" James started, but when they turned the corner, something dropped to the ground with a loud 'thud'.

Blinking once, he realized it was a girl with messy, dark brown hair. She had crouched down to pick up what she had dropped.

When she stood up, it was Rachel.

"Hello," she greeted them tiredly.

Her green eyes were hallowed and emotionless, dark circles were under them and her voice was tired and quiet.

"You have your hair down," James commented.

"Way to state the obvious," she ran her hands through it in distress.

"You never have your hair down," Fred commented.

"I know," she nods.

"Why do you have it down?" Ariana asked curiously.

"I don't know," she shrugged.

"You seem tired," Ariana said.

"Maybe I am."

"Why?"

"I don't know," she lied. "I've got to go to class."

"You might not want to go that way," Fred said. "Your sister and Alex are snogging the life out of each other, and your poor eyes might not want to see that."

"Thanks for the advice," she sighed. "I'm going to go now."

As she resumed walking, James knew something was off about her. No snarky excuse comment, no mean replies at all. Something was off and James could just tell by her eyes.

He reach up and touched her forehead, it was burning up and Rachel took a step back.

"You're sick."

"No, I'm fine," she insisted.

"You're sick," James told her again.

"I can't miss another day of school!"

"If you're sick, yes," James said.

"Why don't you take Little Constance back to her dormitory, Ana and I can get us a good seat in class," Fred winked.

Ariana nodded slyly, a small grin on her face like usual.

"No, I have to go to class," she said. "As long as my head's not hurting, I can survive."

"Come on Constance," Fred begged.

"No," she shook her head. "Not now."

**.**

"Rose," Scorpius begged. "Come on, we need to find Rachel!"

"She checked out, probably in class by now," Rose said.

"But which class?"

"Be smart!" Rose snapped. "We have almost all the same classes with her! At least you would!"

"But I didn't get my schedule," Scorpius mumbled.

"Didn't Clifton just hand it out?"

"I left it with Al..."

"Why?"

"Because he lost a bet and he's going to be my servant for the rest of the day?" Scorpius offered.

"Idiots the both of you," Rose sighed. "How does she stand you two?"

"Rachel ignores us half the time," Scorpius shrugged.

"Come on, we'll go check the Charms classroom," Rose took his hand. "We have to talk to her."

She pulled Scorpius to the Charms room to see Rachel staring out the window. Her dark hair was a mess, or at least it looked mess from where Rose and Scorpius could see it.

"Rachel," Scorpius countered.

She didn't turn around, but moved her hand slowly to the window ledge. Her slender fingers tapped impatiently.

"Constantine, Rachel," Rose said her name.

The tapping quickened and Rachel spun on her heels.

"I'm _mad_!"

Her celery green eyes shined wildly and her cheeks were pink; she was fanning herself with her hand in frustration. Her breathing was rapid and she started to pace around the room.

"You need to calm down," Scorpius said, setting down his bag, he ran over to her. Placing his hand on her forehead, he looked at her, "You're sick."

"James already said that," she said fretfully. "But I really can't miss another day."

"Calling him James?" Rose asked. "That's a big step."

"I need to take a walk and cool down," she said. "This is not working for me."

As she was walking out, Clifton was coming in.

"Something wrong, Rachel?" he asked her.

"I can't do this right now," she siad quietly. "I need to go."

**.**

During his free period, James found Rachel staring into the sky. Or at least from afar, she looked like she was.

He called her name, but she didn't stir.

"Rachel!" he yelled, dropping down by her side. Her eyes were closed and her face was pale, but her cheeks were a rosie pink.

Shaking her awake, she lifted her head so that their faces were just inches. She didn't seem to notice as her eyes were still half closed. James could feel warmth radiate from her and he smiled weakly at her.

"What are you doing out here?"

"I don't know," she yawned as she lay back down and rubbed her eyes. "I think I left class before it started and now I'm screwed."

"You're still sick," he told her. "If you're going to sleep, don't sleep outside."

"Fine, but I'm just going to go back to sleep now..."

"No you're not," he shook her again. "You can't sleep outside, come on, I'll bring you to the Hospital Wing."

"Come on," he said. "You'll catch more of a cold if you sleep out here."

"Fine," she answered tiredly. Brushing her hair behind her ears, she got up and walked back to the class. James by her side, making sure she wouldn't collapse.

They walked through the hallway in a comfortable silence before they walked into Liana and Alex snogging the hell out of each other.

"I'm going the other way," Rachel said tiredly. "Or outside, again."

The two detached themselves from each other and Liana exclaimed, "I've been looking for you all day, but I couldn't find you anywhere!"

"Well, the places your searching aren't very good," Rachel, commented. "He didn't eat me for breakfast and I'm not small enough to fit in his mouth."

Liana scowled at her little sister who spun on her heels and started to walk away, "Oh yeah, jumping to my sister now? Just days ago you were doing it with Westerveldt."

"Shut up, Rachel," Alex said simply.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"Shut up," he shrugged.

"You have no right to say that."

"Well, I just did."

Rachel spun on her heels and stormed up to him, "Do you know why girls worship you? Do you? Because they think you're helping them by insulting them!"

"What?"

"Liana thinks she needs to wear make up to make her look pretty! But my sister's prettier than every girl at this school, besides Dominique because she's 1/8 veela!"

Liana regarded her sister with a shocked expression.

"Ariana Jones is anorexic because of you! All of that so called _'teasing'_ really did a lot more to her than you think!"

Alex rolled his eyes at her, remembering all those times he teased the girl.

"Rose Weasley thought she needed to act dumb to attract boys, because for one, you always went for the dumb ones!"

He looked at the younger girl in the eyes.

"Meaning you were dumb?"

"YES! I was _stupid_, _idiotic_ and so incredibly _dumb_ for even going out with you!"

"But you still love me, what do you have to say?"

"That you're a lot more egotistic than James here and that's saying something," she answered.

James had to nod; when he was younger he was always had a bit of an ego. By a bit, it was fully blown out and out of hand almost all the time.

The silence went on for a few more seconds before Rachel's eyes started to glaze over from a headache and exhaustion. Her eyes fluttered shut and she collapsed into his arms.

"Didn't get enough sleep?" Alex asked in a mocking voice even though he knew she couldn't hear him.

"I'll be taking her to the nurse," James says numbly. Was everything Rachel just yelled at Alex true? Rachel was losing her touch, no monotonous comments at Alex, just a whole lot of exploding. She seemed different and she was breaking inside, but if James was going to win this bet, she couldn't run away.

Scooping up the smaller girl, she was sound asleep.

**.**

James walked down the hallway to see Fred and Ariana still debating over if Lysander liked her or not. They really needed to just march up to the blonde boy and ask him because the entire debate was getting annoying and confusing for all of them.

"I don't even know where you got this ridiculous idea!" she told him. "Because he doesn't!"

"Prove it!"

"I'll ask him!"

"Let's do it now!"

"I don't know where he is!"

"That's just amazing!"

"Let's shut up because I think James wants to talk to us!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Hey guys, can I talk to you?" James interjected.

"Yeah, what's up?" Ariana asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost, an Alexander Carrington ghost."

"I feel like I have," James sighed. "Rachel had a miniature explosion before passing out."

"So... where does the ghost come in?" Fred requested.

"She said a few thinks that 'irked' me."

"_'Irked?'_" Ariana questioned his choice of word. "Please never say that again, along with titillate and balderdash."

"Besides your odd choice in words," Fred gave her an amused pointed look. "What are you trying to get at? Ariana and I aren't that quick with this kind of stuff."

"Especially if we're talking about Rachel, I can never tell what she's thinking," she said in a thoughtful voice.

"That Alex made people feel like a lesser being..."

"Meaning?" Ariana pressed further.

"Thatalloftheteasingwedidtoyo umadeyoubecomeanorexic," James said quickly.

"Pardon?" Ariana asked.

"Yeah, Jamie, I had no idea what you just said!"

"Are you anorexic?" he asked Ariana. "Was it because of us?"

* * *

**A/N: Smiles all around. Anyways. **

**Sorry for the delay I had my contest today and I was preparing and there's also birthday parties and vacations! Oh! Writers block too! :(**

**Thanks for the reviews. That was sort of eventful, but it was all part of the plan.**

**I'm not going to go much into the topic of Ariana and anorexia, you'll find out in the Ariana/Fred story. **

**Read and Review:) They make me smile.**


	12. Why oh why?

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: So... You must be delusional to think I'm JK Rowling.**

**.**

**The Lion and the Snake**

**Why oh why?**

**_A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and a man cannot live without love._**

**_-Max Muller_**

Ariana didn't exactly respond to it, all she did was shrug before running away as though she was scared to talk about it.

"What?" Fred asked.

"Rachel exploded at Alex, she said a whole bunch of things and apparently, Ariana's anorexic," James said. "I don't know how Rachel would know, but she seems to know a lot more than we give her credit for."

"This is mad!" Fred exclaimed. "I've always wondered why she was bone skinny, it's not genetics."

"No, duh," James rolled his eyes. "Why would you think that?"

"I asked her about it and... She said it was genetics," he said sheepishly. "I better go talk to her."

"Fine, leave your best friend alone here," James feigned sadness.

"Git," he smacked James's head before running after his friend.

**.**

Rachel was excused from the hospital and she ran back to her room.

"Why are you back so late?" Leslie sneered. "Out with a professor?"

She didn't say anything as she bit her lip and started to change into her silk pajamas. Running a brush through her hair, she grabbed a book and closed the curtains around her bed.

"_Lumos Maxima_," she whispered. Lighting up the darkness under her covers, she started to read her book and contemplating what had happened before or what had happened through the course of the year.

"_Muffliato_," she casted the spell around her bed again and started to talk to herself.

"What am I doing? Why am I here? Why did I come back? Why did he come back? I should do something that gets me expelled, but then it goes on my résumé... so that's out... Why did I even snog him? Oh yeah, my mind was totally gone and I thought he was a dream. Why did I agree to go out with James again? Damn him, damn Carrington, damn the world! I hate this. Why am I talking to myself? Well... at least it's not third person... First sign of insanity, talking to yourself and the second is talking in third person. Just wait..."

She contemplated life before drifting off to sleep in the blissful silence and bright light.

It wasn't until she woke up at exactly five o'clock that she immediately started to get ready. Running a brush through her hair and tied it up high, slipped on her uniform and tied her black shoes.

Running down the stairs, she looked into the mirror and frowned to herself. Rachel knew she wasn't as beautiful or pretty as her sisters, but when she looked into the mirror, she didn't know the girl staring back at her.

When she was little it was always rosy pink cheeks, pale skin and bright green eyes with messy, short brown hair. But looking into the mirror now, she saw a sixteen-year-old girl with pale cheeks, pale skin, dull green eyes and neat, long brown hair. A smile didn't grace her lips like it use too and she looked so dull and sad. Rachel felt dull and sad.

Rachel checked the time and decided to find her cousin and best friend.

Humming to herself, she skipped down the stairs and to the boy's dormitory. Opening the door, she saw her cousin sitting on his bed without a shirt and glaring at a book on his bed.

"Scorpius?" she asked.

"Rachel, what are you doing in here?"

"Put a shirt on," she fretted, throwing him his shirt. "Winter is almost around the corner."

"You totally skipped THANKSGIVING!"

"We don't celebrate that," Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Fine."

Rachel and Scorpius sat in the silence for a few seconds before he decided to break it with a question.

"What are you doing here?"

"I want to run," she said miserably. "Like when we were little kids and I got mad at Uncle Draco and Auntie Tori."

"We ran to the closest park which was like miles away," Scorpius laughed. "Then before we crossed the streets, you stopped me and said: _we're not allowed to cross the streets without an adult_!"

"Yeah," Rachel sighed. "But I want to run for real this time, to somewhere they can't find me."

"Why?"

"I want to have a life that isn't a lie anymore. I want to live and have fun without people there to put me down for it."

"Why do you let everyone rule your life? In ten years you won't even remember them because you'll be some famous lawyer or a healer!"

"I know it's just... I can't."

"Then learn too."

"Oi! Scorpius!" someone yelled. Al's head popped out of his bed and he yawned loudly. "It's six o'clock!"

"No, duh," he rolled his eyes.

"What are you doing in here?" Al asked sleepily.

"Contemplating the possibilities of jumping out of your window," she said sarcastically.

"Oh... wait! We're underground!"

"No, duh," Scorpius and Rachel rolled their eyes.

Al started to mumble about how annoying they were before pulling the covers back around his head and going back to sleep.

"So...?" Rachel asked. "Want to go to breakfast."

"I'll meet you at in the Great Hall, dragging Al out of bed might be a lot harder than you think."

"Got it!"

Rachel smiled one last time at her cousin before walking out.

Adjusting her ponytail, she left the common room and walked down the halls. Everything was quiet and she sighed in content.

"Constantine," someone said viciously.

Rachel looked up to see Meredith standing there with her cronies.

"What?" Rachel asked.

"Watch your tone," Meredith snapped. "I was just wondering if you know where Alex is."

"Why would I know?" Rachel asked in a bored tone.

"Because he and you are close, especially the day he came back and you had a snog fest with him."

"Okay, that was mistake, but he's all yours," Rachel rolled her eyes. "Seeing as he has as much personality and dimension as you."

"What does that mean?" Meredith snapped.

"Well, you're a boring and extremely flat person," she shrugged. "Nothing too interesting."

"You shouldn't be talking, the girl with a boring voice that annoys the hell out of people!"

"Sort of my goal here," Rachel went on.

Meredith flipped her hair and stormed out of her way, but before she did so, she yelled, "You're going to have to pick one of them, Alex or James!"

"Like it matters!"

**.**

Rachel ran into Dominique on the way down. She stopped short and almost spun on her heels to head the other way, but Dom was part of this mess and she had to face it all head on.

"Dominique," she said tightly.

"Constantine," Dom growled.

Rachel passed her slowly and James stopped her with a smile.

"Hey!"

"What now?" she growled.

"I didn't do anything, yet," James held his hand up.

"Do you need anything? Because I still have breakfast to eat," she said.

"I need a lot of things actually," he said thoughtfully. "Let us walk!"

"No, I promised Scorpius and Al that I would be in the Great Hall."

"Fine, I just want to ask how you knew Ariana was anorexic and if it's true."

Rachel sighed and rolled her eyes, "It's not hard to tell. It's obvious she's malnourished. She's incredibly thin and she never eats, it's obvious."

"What did Alex have to do with anything?"

"Number one, girls are very vulnerable," Rachel held a finger up and nodded solemnly. "And the 'teasing' probably got to her. She may be a Gryffindor, but there is always a breaking point."

"So our teasing caused that?"

"Probably, then she could also be depressed about something. Just go ask her."

"That might be a problem. She likes to laugh and have fun, but serious things aren't her type and she's been avoiding us since I brought it up."

"Good job," Rachel rolled her eyes. "Now I'm going to go have breakfast."

"Wait," James pulled her back. "How about Rose?"

"What?"

"You said that Alex said something about how blokes liked stupid girls and she pretended to be dumb."

"Fourth year," Rachel said thoughtfully. "Your so called friend was never the nicest to your cousin. For a period of time she started to fail tests and I didn't have a rival, it was sad."

"So...?"

"You know, words can affect a person and when she was fourteen a boyfriend seemed like the most important thing in the world. But it wasn't and she pretended to be dumb for nothing. If a boy can't accept a girl for who they are, then they're not the right one."

"Right, how about your sister?"

"Liana," Rachel sighed. "There's a reason why she always wears make up. She never feels pretty or worthy."

"How about you?"

"What?"

"What did Alex do to you?"

"So much in so little time," Rachel laughed to herself softly. "I don't want to talk about it, now, I'm going to breakfast."

"Remember our date!" he called after her.

"Almost slipped my mind," she smiled weakly before waltzing off.

**.**

Rachel scribbled away as she stayed late in Clifton's classroom. She needed to finish her work in absolute silence and he never minded her staying there late for work.

While she was writing, her finger slipped and her quill went flying across the room.

Walking across the classroom she knelt down behind everything and searched for her quill.

"Grant," a girls voice said. "We're alone, no ones here."

"I know."

Rachel took a peek and saw two people standing outside the doorway and she saw Professor Clifton and another person standing in front of him. Red hair, it was all she could see.

She heard footsteps walk towards her and she froze.

"It means no one can find us if we close the door," the girl whispered softly.

"Dom, I love you," he said. "But this is getting too risky. Just wait until the year is over and then we can be together."

Dom... Dominique... Dominique Weasley.

Perfect.

"It's too far away," she whined. Rachel peeked her head out just enough for her to see what was going on, but far enough that she was concealed.

Dom had quickly kissed Clifton on the lips and Rachel wrinkled her nose in disgust. She didn't mean to have something against them, but it was the way she was raised and things like this relationship was looked down upon in her family.

"Whose things are those?" Dom asked Professor Clifton.

"I didn't notice that, check," he said.

"R—E—C," Dom read. "I didn't know there was a kid named Rec here. Wait, they're initials."

"Rachel," Clifton stated her name without missing a beat.

"What?"

"Those are Rachel's," he said slowly. "She must've been working in here."

"What if she's in here right now?"

"I doubt it, look around," Clifton told Dom soothingly. "Maybe she went to get something."

"Maybe."

"Why don't we go into my office?"

"Sure."

Rachel heard them walk out of the classroom and into the office. With the click of the door, Rachel sprung up and ran to the desk where her stuff lay. She packed everything up, and then sprinted from the class. Her heart beat furiously and she was scared.

It never was Rachel who had an affair with the teacher. But the affair was always there, Dominique Weasley was the one who was having an affair with Clifton. Her name was cleared, but Dom's was a mess.

But she remembered that no one was going to believe her.

She leaned against the wall and slid to the ground. Breathing slowly she closed her eyes and sighed, everything in her life seemed broken.

But it wasn't. It was her that was broken, everything was in line and she was the one who was a mess.

* * *

**A/N: So before this author notes, the chapter was exactly** **2,000 words! Isn't that funny?**

**THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS! I LOVE YOU ALL!**

**So read, review and check out my stories on fictionpress!**

**Later! xoxo**


	13. Halloween Date

**So... What do you have to say about ENJOYING the chapter?!**

**Disclaimer: Again... I don't own anything you recognize. All the credit goes to JK Rowling!**

**.**

**The Lion and the Snake**

**Halloween Date**

**_A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluos._**

**_-Ingrid Bergman_**

"IT'S HALLOWEEN!" Leslie and Cassidy jumped around. They were all too excited to dress up and have fun. But of couse, Halloween was the holiday where parents encouraged their children to be monsters and princesses. Teenage girls, on the other hand, took the time to dress up as slutty barbie.

"What are you going to be, Cassidy?" Leslie asked.

Rachel started to comb through her hair and adjusted her tie.

"I was thinking that I should be a sexy angel!" she exclaimed.

"I thought angels were supposed to be modest and innocent," Rachel retorted to herself.

"Meaning as you shouldn't be the one going as an angel."

"No worries, Reynolds. I'm not going to the party."

"Oh right! You'll be spending the night with a Professor," Kylie baited her.

"No, I'll be spending my day with James and my night in this room by myself," she answered the three girls before leaving the room.

"I don't believe her," Cassidy hissed. "As if James Potter would ever go out with a girl like her. Besides, he's a player and she's supposed to be smart."

**.**

"What are you going to be?" Meredith asked Rachel as she entered the classroom.

"I'm not going, Westerveldt. Go cancel any pranks you were going to do to me now because I'm not going."

"I didn't have anything planned," Meredith flipped her hair. "But maybe I'll snag a date with Alex or James."

Rachel felt annoyed by Meredith especially after she brought James into the conversation.

"Oh great," she says sarcastically. "I'm sure both of them are already lining up to as you, but they certainly aren't asking you becaseu of your personality since being around you is like cancer to the soul."

"Rude," Meredith sniffed.

"I'm not rude, you're just insignificant."

"I'm insignificant? That's a laugh because I'm worth so much more than you are."

"Really? How much?"

"I don't know, but it certainly is way much more than you."

"Impossible," Rachel answered.

"Why? Why is it impossible?"

"Because I am so valuable that I'm priceless," the moment the words leave Rachel's mouth she was slapped across the face by Meredith.

Clenching her teeth she turned back to Meredith.

"You are nothing," Meredith sneered. "Don't go around and think you're better than everyone when we all know the truth."

Rachel's green eyes lost her gleam and she didn't say anything as she spun on her heel and sat down at the front of class. Her cousin and best friend weren't in the classroom to see the little show that just happened and she was glad for that. She didn't need more people worrying about her, all she wanted was some peace and quiet.

"RACHEL!"

She looked up to see a ghost mask spring in front of her face. Some of the girls shrieked and other laughed, Rachel sat there and pulled the mask off the person's face to reveal Alex Carrington.

"Carrington," she says distastefully.

"Rachel," he smiled. "You are my date to the Halloween Dance."

"No, thank you," she shook her head. "I'd rather kill myself, then resurrect myself and repeat the process over and over multiple times."

"Really? Best you could come up with?"

"How about... There are many obnoxious people in the world and you, my friend, are one of them."

She turned back to her book when he snapped his fingers in front of her and she turned back to him with pursed lips.

"Okay, I understand we broke up over a stupid little argument—"

"Stupid little argument?" Rachel exclaimed in shock and surprise.

"Yeah—"

Pointing an accusing finger at him, she said slowly, "You! You think that was a stupid little argument!?"

"Yeah—"

"You used me," Rachel snapped. "And you're saying it was a stupid little argument. Wow, and I actually thought you were amazing years ago. I must've been delusional, mad and on crack!"

"You know what—"

"Oh shut up, I don't want to talk to you anymore. Why can't we be normal broken up couples and never talk to each other again? Because that would be fine, amazing even, by me."

"Come on, don't say—"

"Okay, we're done," she said. "We've been done for a long time and if you ever touch me again, I will tell my parents what happened after I kill you!"

"Rach—"

"Don't say my name, I told you I was done and I don't want to be part of this anymore!" Rachel exclaimed. "I've moved on and you should too because all you're going to do to me is hurt me."

"Move on? You've moved on? To who? James?"

"No," she sent him a withering look. "James is my friend."

"Really? Because he's looking for a lot more than that and besides, he's just as bad as I am."

"Shut up, please, just shut up."

**.**

"Something wrong, Fred?" James asked his cousin who seemed restless.

"She's gone," he says fretfully. "Ariana's not on school grounds!"

"What?"

"Roxie and Dom said she was gone since yesterday afternoon and I've been trying to get a hold of her forever, but she keeps running off."

"Did you check the map?"

"Yeah, not on there. I checked three times."

"Go ask Mikey then!"

"Already tried, he just muttered something about a hospital and how she'll tell me when she's ready."

"Maybe she got hurt," James explained. "Don't worry mate, she's probably pulling a trick on you or something."

"Who's pulling a trick on who?" someone asked cheerily. "Because today is Halloween and I—"

"Ariana!" Fred exclaimed and pulled the little redhead into a hug. "Where were you?"

"I got back from a check up," she answered sheepishly. "I think I have things to explain."

"Explain away!"

**.**

The conversation she had with Alex before class made Rachel become very confused. She was confused before, but now, oh now, she was confused beyond comprehension.

James was one part of all of her confusion and they only had half day classes so the rest of the day could be spent in Hogsmeade. Rachel started to doubt him and she didn't know if she should cancel it or go. She liked James, but was it in the brotherly, best friend of boyfriend way? She didn't know.

Alex was all too confusing and he'd always been the bane of her confusion. He knew her weaknesses unlike anybody else and could tear her down in a day or two. Rachel wanted nothing to do with him anymore, but he kept coming back and making her life a living hell. Not like it wasn't already that...

Then there was Meredith who was like Alex's female counterpart. She didn't know Rachel's weaknesses, but she could still spread vicious rumors to hurt her.

Rachel really had no idea. She was lost before, but now it seemed like she'd never be found.

"Hey!" Al snapped his fingers in front of his friend.

"Hello, Al," she sighed.

"You have your date! I can't believe it's with James, again," he drawled.

"He asked me," Rachel shrugged.

"I'm still sticking to my old theory, even though he is my brother," Al smirked.

"James is nice," she said slowly. "He's sort of like you, but he has brown eyes, he's older and he's not as qudditch obsessed as you are."

"Yeah," he scratched the back of his head. "I guess."

"But no doubt, you're my best friend and Scorpius is my favorite and only cousin!"

"Good news!" Al hugged her. "I'll always be your best friend."

"Of course," she smiled.

"How about that party? Going with James?"

"Not going at all," she sighed. "I don't think I want to go on that date with James either."

"Why?"

"Carrington said a few things and I'm so confused."

"Merlin's beard!" Al exclaimed. "Rachel Constantine is confused! The world must be ending! I'll go hide in a bomb shelter!"

"Seriously, Al," Rachel sighed. "I don't know what I want to do anymore."

"Why don't we have a talk then?" Al told her. "Sit down, we'll talk."

**.**

"You have a date? With Rachel?" Alex asked James.

"Yeah, why?"

"I asked her to the dance and she said yes."

"I don't believe that," Ariana smiled as she came in with Fred.

"What are you doing in here, Jones?" Alex asked.

"Reminding James!" she grinned. Her hand left Fred's and she knocked James on the head and looked at him seriously. "She's already waiting, we saw her and she's all pretty!"

"Damn it," James cursed.

"Better hurry," she sung. "I've got to go talk to Ly!"

She skipped out of the room like a little girl.

"You two were holding hands," Michael commented stiffly.

"No, duh," James rolled his eyes as he started to change.

"Doesn't mean she likes you," Alex said.

"Besides, didn't you already say yes to Nicole? She asked you, didn't she?"

Fred flopped on his bed and sighed, "What do I do!?"

"Go with Jones," James said.

"Don't hurt my sister," Michael nodded.

"Then you'll be hurting Nicole," Alex told them. "She's so hopelessly in love with you that Jones always has Lysander Scamander to take her!"

"Just pick the person that you like better, if the other likes you, then they want you to be happy," James said thoughtfully. "See ya!"

**.**

Rachel wore a gray dress that reached mid thigh, black fabric lined the outside of the dress and a head band. She curled her hair and it flowed around her face nicely.

She was never considered as beautiful as her sisters, yet she always loved her hair. Both her parents had light hair so many people were surprised by the dark color she had. All of her sisters had beautiful blonde curls when she had straight, dark brown hair. They all had blue eyes and she had green. Some people wonder if she was adopted, but her parents have her birth certificate to prove she wasn't.

She threw on her cloak and left the room after slipping on black flats.

Running down the stairs, she contemplated if she should go. After her talk with Al, she realized that James might not be what Alex said. But it still worried her that he might be using her like before and she was scared.

Rachel waited where she last waited for him. Her bag in hand, she looked up at the darkened sky and hoped that it wouldn't rain.

"What'cha looking at?" James asked the girl.

"The sky," she answered. "Do you think it's going to rain?"

"Maybe, you never know," James shrugged. "Why?"

"I don't like the rain," she stated slowly.

"We'll be fine," he smiled at her gently. "We'll be back before it starts down pouring."

They dived into a random conversation and walked around Hogsmeade like last time. This time, though, they decided not to get lost.

"Are you going to the dance? Alex said you were going with him."

"He's a fat liar," she sighed. "I said no such thing and I'm not going with him, let alone going at at all!"

"Why?"

"I don't like parties or dances."

"Come on! We'll find you a costume right now!"

"No," she laughed. "No, I don't—"

He took her hand and pulled her into Gladrags, they were selling costumes for Halloween.

"It'll be fun!" he told her.

She brushed her hair behind her hair and said, "No! Come on!"

"Rachel, you must respect your elders. I am older than you and you must respect me!"

"And I'm Rachel Constantine!" she exclaimed laughing.

"Whatever," he smiled. "Try this on."

He threw her a white dress with a gold waist band.

"No," she begged with a weak smile. "No."

"Terri! Mira!" he exclaimed. "I need you guys to find her an amazing costume!"

"Don't!" Rachel exclaimed. "No! No! No!"

Two employees took Rachel by the arm and pulled her into the dressing room.

"JAMES SIRIUS POTTER! YOU WILL DIE TONIGHT!" she yelled.

He chuckled in reply and shook his head.

**.**

"I'm not wearing this," she declared.

"Yes, you are," he told her. "You'll look amazing and you're going to the dance."

"No, I'm not," she shook her head.

"If you don't come, I will have my friends come up to your dormitory, make you change and bring you down to the party!"

"You and your buddies can't get into the girl's dorm."

"I can get my cousins and Ariana Jones," he shrugged. "I have my ways."

"Fine! I'll go!" the words came tumbling out of her mouth faster than she could stop them.

James smirked at her as her expression hardened and she finished her sentence, "Please don't set your cousins on me."

"Got it, see you at the party."

"Maybe," she smiled before running towards the Slytherin common room.

"You better come!"

**.**

Rachel looked at herself in the mirror. It was the second time she was dressing up that day and that was driving her crazy.

She put her brown hair into a bun on top of her head, pinning the golden laurel headpiece to her head. She was already in the white dress with the golden waist band. Rachel then slipped the gold bands around her arms, her eyes stood out among all the white and gold. Pulling on sandals, she left the other girls who were preparing.

"I thought you weren't going," Kylie sneered.

"I've had a change of heart," Rachel said simply.

"Oh right, are you just using James Potter to cover up for you? Pretending to go out with him and then slipping away with a professor?"

"No."

They all rolled their eyes as Rachel surveyed herself in the mirror once more.

_Smile_, a voice in the back of her head said. Aunt Astoria had told her to smile during a family picture because it looked better on her. _Smile_.

The corners of her mouth curved into a smile as she darted out of the room and down the stairs. She didn't pay attention to her surroundings as she left the common room and ran right into someone. Stumbling backwards, she apologized in quickly.

"I'm sorry," she managed.

"Never thought I'd hear that come out of your mouth," the person said mockingly.

Looking up, she saw Alex Carrington standing in front of her, Meredith Weasterveldt clinging to his arm.

"Carrington, Westerveldt," she says calmly and cooly.

"Thought you weren't going," Westerveldt commented.

"I was threatened," she shrugged. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be going now."

Pushing past the two, they seized her by the arm and nodded.

"No, we can't let you go."

Rachel struggled against their grasps.

"What—"

Two fingers went to her neck. Her eyes fluttered shut and she slumped against Alex, unconscious.

**.**

"Do you like her?" Fred asked James.

"Who?"

"Little Constance."

"Sure, I guess. She's sweet and funny," he shrugged. "But she's still putting a barrier between us, she's not letting me get any closer than I am now."

"Is she your date?"

"I didn't ask her to the dance."

"Why, you idiot?"

"Because I don't think she wants me too!"

"Every girl wants their prince charming to ask them out to a ball! Even if it's on Halloween! The day of the dead!"

"She's already irritated by Alex, I don't think she wants more stress," James shrugged. "So who did you decided to take?"

"Nicole," he sighed, biting his lips.

"I thought you wanted to take Jones?"

"I did, but Nicole asked me first and I totally forgot. Then Ariana just sort of jumped into my life," he sighed. "It would've been cruel to just say no to someone you already said yes too."

"But you're not happy," James commented.

Fred shrugged, "It's only one night. When is she coming?"

"I don't know," James shrugged. "She promised to come."

"Slytherins don't always keep promises."

"She will," James nodded.

**.**

Fred went with Nicole and Ariana seemed extremely pissed off.

Instead of showing it, she just brushed it off and talked or danced with Lysander.

James danced around with other girls. He danced with his cousins, he danced with Ariana, danced with Meredith, danced with so many people, he had fun. But Rachel never showed up and he thought back to their promise. She promised.

"Are you thinking about Rachel?" Ariana asked.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because whenever you think you start stepping on my toes," she nodded importantly. "I could also see your thought disappearing from your eyes."

"What—"

"Whenever Fred thinks, he either bites his bottom lip or is very quiet," she told me thoughtfully.

"Okay—"

"So... are you?"

"Well, yeah," he nodded.

"I think something happened," Ariana nodded.

"Moving on from the subject of me, how are you feeling about Fred?"

"Meaning?"

"You told us your life story this afternoon and I know you went into more detail with Fred later," James rolled his eyes. "How do you feel that he took Nicole."

"Well," she smiled lightly. "I was pissed at first, but then I have to remember he never asked me, I never asked him and he's not mine so I shouldn't be pissed."

"Do you want to be his girlfriend?"

"Depends," she shrugged. "Right now, not so much. Later? Not so much. Earlier? Uh... He's sweet."

"You're confusing."

"I know, now go find your girl!"

"What?"

"Find. Rachel. Constantine," she started slowly before running back to Lysander or Lorcan, the identical twins that James can't tell apart sometimes.

**.**

Rachel woke up from the haze and she looked around. The lights were out and she felt around for her wand, but when she couldn't find it, she freaked out.

Standing up, she grabbed onto a string. Pulling it down, the lights flipped on and she realized that she was in a broom closet. What freak put her in there now?

It took her a second to remember Alex and Meredith kidnapping her, they subdued her and locked her in here.

She pounded on the door and tried to open it multiple times, but it was no use.

"Hello!?" she called out. "Someone! Please? Help me!"

Pounding on the door over and over, she gave up and sunk to the ground.

"Why is it always me?" Rachel groaned to herself.

She waited in there for some time before hearing voices in the distance. They seemed to be yelling about something.

"HELP!" she yelled. Standing up, Rachel started to pound the door with her fist. "HELP!"

The door slowly opened to reveal Ariana and Fred standing on the outside.

Ariana was flushed red in the face from anger. Fred seemed just as annoyed as her, but Rachel didn't worry about that.

"Thank you," she sighed. "Thank you."

"How'd you—"

"I have to go," Rachel cut them off. "Just, thank you."

She walked off, her eyes narrowed in disdain as she spun on her heel and started to leave. Both Ariana and Fred staring after her in surprise, momentarily forgetting their argument.

* * *

**A/N: So... what do you think?**

**One of the longer chapters :)**

**REVIEW :) I really do appreciate them all :)**

**Read and Review my pretties!**

**See you guys later!**


	14. Looking

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. It belongs to the amazing JK Rowling.**

**The Lion and the Snake**

**Looking…**

_**Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love.**_

_**-Albert Einstein**_

James walked down the hallway looking for Rachel who totally stood him up. He found her nowhere, until he ran into a crowd on the fifth floor.

"You need to be carted off to St. Mungos right away!" Meredith's voice laughed.

"Last time I checked, it was you who needed the help," Rachel answered in a bored tone. "Don't you people have anything better to do?"

James watched everyone that was in the crowd, everyone nodded almost slowly and Rachel rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"And I thought Westerveldt had a sad life, nothing better than to pester me," Rachel told them flatly.

"You're the one to talk," Meredith snapped.

"Yes, I am!"

Meredith glared at Rachel while she stared back with wide, innocent eyes that clearly said: I'm not interested. Blinking, she pushed past the crowd and walked down the hall, everyone staring after her.

James wanted to follow her, but he could see Fred coming around the corner with Roxie and Dom. Ariana was no where in sight, he saw that one coming.

"Oi! James!" Fred yelled. "We've got class in three!"

"Coming!"

**.**

"Hey! Rachel!" James yelled.

She turned around to see James and she rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"What did I do, now?"

"Nothing," she answered flatly. "Nothing."

"Then why are you so pissed?"

"I'm not," Rachel rolled her eyes. "Where did you get that idea?"

"Well, your narrowed eyes, sulky mood and the sarcastic and very flat tone you're using," James nodded importantly.

"Rhetorical question," she answered. "I've got class to go to, anything you need?"

"To know why you're so mad!"

"I think you should know exactly why," she told him calmly. "Because I let myself slip and I'm not doing it again. See ya."

Rachel smiled almost coldly before walking away; she had adopted the cold demeanor she had at the beginning of the year.

James sighed; he just had to talk to her. The change in her personality towards him was starting to slip away and he was starting to wonder if she was leading him on or if he did some terrible to her.

Something was wrong and he just had to find out what. If it only was that easy, Rachel was always so composed and no one could ever know what she's thinking.

Ah… James really needed to step up his game.

**.**

"She's pissed at me," James sighed to Fred. "I don't even know why!"

"Maybe you did something, Ariana's really mad at me because I went to the dance with Nicole."

"And you ignored her most of the time during the dance," James told him reasonably. "Rachel was never there."

"Talk to Lorcan! He'll tell you anything you need to know about girls, he's a genius."

"Um…?"

"Seriously," Fred nodded.

"Dorkan Lorcan? Seriously?"

"Yes."

James looked at his cousin, not trying to be mean or anything, but Lorcan?

Lorcan Scamander, Lysander's twin brother who is way weirder that him, but still a family friend, Lorcan had a way to make people feel uncomfortable just like his mother. He always seemed to be lost in his own world and their little cousin, Lucy, was drawn to him because of that.

"How…?"

"Trust me, you won't regret it. Or maybe you will, he's kind of weird…"

"I don't—"

"It'll be totally fine, Ariana talks to him a lot. Maybe it's because she likes Lysander, but we'll never know."

He says it smoothly and nonchalantly as if he and Ariana weren't close friends, but over the years they did get closer even though they still pranked each other over the edge. James also grew closer to Ariana's warm and happy personality, even when all they did to her when she was younger was tease, prank and make fun of her. She accepted them with a wide smile and open arms. James thought she was naive and maybe she was, but it was Ariana.

"Hey, have you seen Ariana anywhere?" Dom popped her head in the doorway.

"No, why?" the two boys answered simultaneously.

"The only reason we've been hanging around with you two idiots is because we can't find her," Roxie sighed. "Didn't you know that?"

"I am hurt," Fred feigned weakly. His heart not fully in the process of mocking and fake hurting.

"Well, if you see her, tell us," Dom sighed. "We really need to talk to her about something!"

"And what would that be?" a warm voice asked.

Looking up they saw Ariana with her hand on the doorframe, she looked sort of weak, but her smile was still wide and happy.

"Girl stuff!" Roxie exclaimed.

"I have something to say," she said slowly. "I overheard Bella and Nicole talking and is Rachel Constantine pissed at you, James?"

"Yeah… How do you know?"

"They said that you were using her for your own purposes," Ariana sighed sadly. "Now she's more guarded than ever, trust me, have fun trying to break through her barrier."

"What?"

"She's a girl," Dom rolled her eyes. "Of course she's going to shut away things that makes her sad, and she's probably going to be pissed with you for a long time."

"Shit," James swore.

"Language," Ariana corrected him. "But, are you? Are you using her?"

Fred and James shared a look. He liked Rachel, but a hundred galleons was at stake and not many others knew about their bet. James knew Fred would crack soon and he didn't have to do such a thing to Rachel, but he had too.

"No," he lied.

"Then talk to her, tell her that everything Meredith Westerveldt told her was a lie," Ariana smiled. "Do I recall that you two want to talk about some girl stuff?"

"Yes!" Roxie exclaimed, she pulled her friend out of the boys' dormitory and towards their own.

**.**

Rachel was taking notes at top speed, since she no longer had so many things on her mind, she could easily focus on things such as her grades. She wasn't slipping, Merlin no, that would have been disgraceful, but she wasn't as far ahead as she'd like to be.

Rose was slowly coming up behind her, so she needed to step up her came. Being the last daughter never worked in Rachel's favor.

Everyone would think that the last child would always be spoiled, but Rachel wasn't spoiled. It was Liana who got everything, from curly blond hair, warm brown eyes, the attitude, the grades, the boys, the looks, everything was hers.

Rachel worked tirelessly to at least beat her sister's scores. She didn't just want it; she needed it, for grades were practically the rankings in the house.

"Rachel," Scorpius countered.

"Yes?" she asked.

"You should calm down, Al, Rose and I are going to take a walk, want to come?"

"No," she shook her head.

"Come on," Al groaned. "I know you're all up in that stuff, but even Rosie is resting! Come on!"

Rachel sent a withering glare at Al, her celery green eyes piercing his. It wasn't until Al blinked that Rachel smiled in delight and returned to her work.

Out of nowhere, her quill was ripped out of her hand and her head snapped up.

Rose towered over her, with both her quill and textbook in her hand. She was glaring at Rachel, her eyes clearly said: drop everything and take a walk!

"What was that for?" Rachel asked calmly. Reaching up she grabbed her things and put it away in her bag.

"You're going to take a walk with us and that's final," Rose snapped.

"You can't make me," she says.

"Yeah we can," Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Grab her wand, Rose! Get her, Al! I'll get the door!"

Albus pulled her by the waist that she had to bite the inside of her lip to keep from yelling. It was ridiculous. She fought against her best friend's grip, but he was stronger than her and it was no use.

Once they were outside and the cool air brushed Rachel's legs did she absolutely go berserks.

"Let me go!" she hissed.

"We're taking a walk," Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Got it?"

"No, I've got three tests coming up!"

"You need to relax," Rose rolled her eyes. "The only reason I've been able to surpass your cousin was because I balance between studying and relaxing."

Rachel growled as she struggled against Al's grasp.

"Still haven't beat me," she growled.

"Number one," Scorpius says importantly. "You practically committed the textbooks to memory and two, all you do is study."

"Shut up."

"How bout that walk we keep suggesting?" Al asked. "We want to talk to you about things, like why you're pissed at James."

"I'm not pissed at him!"

"You say one thing, but your attitude towards him says another," Rose answered coldly.

The two girl glared at each other as Al withdrew his arms from her.

"You have sharp nails," he whined. "I'm going to bleed to death because of you."

"Yeah right, Albus," she shook her head. "I'm not pissed at James and I don't want to take a walk, got it?"

"Nope, because you're walking right now," Scorpius pointed it out.

"I hate it when you're damn right," Rachel growled.

**.**

Once Rachel had become calm, she continue with her homework. She studied Ancient Runes, Charms and Arithmetic. A test was coming up and she needed to be prepared, no matter what.

When Carrington came to bother her, she flicked her wand and hexed him before continuing with her studies. Rachel knew that if she got even an Exceeds Expectation that she would be scolded.

The end of term exams were coming up and she just needed to be prepared and come out head of her year.

By the time she finished, it was late at night and she sighed before heading back to her room. Rachel's dorm mates were already asleep and she could have some peace and quiet before sleeping.

Brushing her long, brown hair, Rachel couldn't help, but notice that she looked much more like her aunt than her real mother. It was always weird to see her sisters all have luscious, blonde hair, while she had dark, brown hair.

Drawing the curtains around her bed, she decided that contemplating life was not necessary that night. Her studies were her first priority, and since that was done, sleep was second.

Drifting off to sleep, she couldn't help, but feel some longing to talk to James Sirius Potter.

.

"Rachel, please talk to me," James begged.

"Shut up," she says in a bored tone. "I have a three quizzes to study for and a huge muggle studies project to finish."

Rachel scribbled out answers to questions she knew off the top of her head, trying to jog her memory. It was harder than she thought and she knew she must have forgotten something.

"Rachel!"

"I mean it!" Rachel told him. "If I get and exceeds expectation on this, I will die!"

"Isn't that a bit dramatic?"

"NO!"

Flipped open her Charms book, she studied over the answers to some of the question she missed. If she didn't pass, this would be the end and Rachel wasn't being dramatic. She was sure her parents would kill her.

"Oi, James!" Alex came rushing over. "What are you doing with Rachel, here?"

"Don't call me that," Rachel told him coldly. "Shut up the both of you!"

The two boys regarded her with a look that clearly said, 'you're crazy and need to calm down before you explode,' which Rachel sighed at them.

She knew that they wouldn't understand her need for this and if she didn't get it, she would die.

This was what she lived for, studying and doing well.

"Calm down," the two boys exclaimed.

Rachel spun on her heels, looking absolutely scandalized.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" she told them snidely. "Don't you have something better to do? Like you, Carrington, off to snog some random girl? Or you, Potter, toying with their emotions?"

Rachel stuffed her belongings back violently into her bag before stalking out of the library. She was brimming with anger and could not stand the two boys any longer, they were driving her crazy and she needed a calm atmosphere.

"You look mad," someone commented.

Rachel looked up to see one of the Weasley's standing before her. He was smirking at her and she gave him a bored look.

"What do you want?" she inquired.

"Let's take a walk, Constance," he says. "It'll do you some good."

"With you? No way," she shook her head.

"What if I can answer any question you have about both James and Alex?"

Looking up, she stared him down before nodding slightly and following him down the corridor and into what seemed like a secret passage Al had showed her in her second year.

Though she didn't fully trust Weasley, she followed him down the passage way and through the ground. Rachel just hoped he wasn't leading her to some kind of trouble.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews again! They're great motivation!**

**So I've been thinking about this story and I have a vague idea of when they'll start dating, their first kiss and how this story will end. I have a feeling some people will be mad...**

Next Chapter: Fred and Rachel have a heart to heart. (Or at least as deep as they can get with a girl who hates sharing her emotions and a Fred Weasley!) She then has a date with the Gryffindor side of her and does something on impulse!

**Go check out my other stories and my profile!**


	15. Truths

**READ FOLLOWERS/FAVORITERS: Please drop a review it won't take that long! There are a lot of you and I'd appreciate it if you give me some feedback on this story!**

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to twilightlover427 because they were the only reviewer in the last chapter!**

**The Lion and the Snake**

**Truths**

**_A man is already halfway in love with any women who listens to him._**

**_-Brenden Francis_**

The two walked through Hogsmeade together. Lights from the buildings lit the way and everything was quiet. It was like any typical night, well, any typical night you see a Constantine and a Weasley walking together. It just didn't happen often.

"Why am I here?" Rachel asked suddenly. "And you are…?"

"Fred, who else would I be?"

Rachel just shrugged in reply, their names slipped her mind often and she had trouble remembering them with it came to faces.

"I hear you're having guy trouble," he says.

"Oh, like you could help," Rachel rolled her eyes.

"And I'm having girl trouble, so this ultimately works out!"

She raised her eyebrows at him in a questioning manner. Was she that prepared to help Fred Weasley? Talking to James Potter was already a big step, was she ready to let him into her life as well.

The answer is simple, no. Rachel wasn't ready to exploit her secrets and stress onto him. He was like any other Weasley, meddlesome.

She also had to think about the fact he was asking for help from her. An eye for an eye, it all worked out and everyone got something.

"So…?"

"So what?" Rachel asked coldly.

"Are you going to help me?"

"No."

"Then we'll be going back," he sighed sadly.

"No," she says suddenly. "I like it out here."

Looking around, she found the atmosphere peaceful. Rachel really needed to have some quiet time especially after dealing with both Alexander and James.

Fred shrugged and decided to stay with her. No reason for him to go back if he knew he could persuade her.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did," she rolled her eyes.

"Okay, I'm going to ask another one."

"Shoot," she shrugs.

Fred leads Rachel to the Three Broomsticks and they sit down at a table. Ordering some butterbeer, Fred finally asked his question.

"How did you know Ariana's anorexia?"

Rachel shrugged at the question. Her eyebrows furrowed as she thought about her answer. How did she know about Ariana's anorexia nervosa? Oh yeah, because even though it wasn't obvious, someone who observed closely could see it.

"Well, she only ate occasionally," Rachel started slowly. "But, whenever Carrington, James and you teased her, she just stopped all together. Then she ate again, then the new years passed and she stopped eating again."

"So…?"

"She's starving herself and she's gone a lot, I'm sure if you asked Madame Carpe, she could tell you the entire story."

Fred nodded as he mulled over what the younger girl had told him. There was no doubt in his mind that she was a smart girl. She always had been and always will be. Her sister, Liana, was a Ravenclaw, yet she wasn't as smart as Rachel.

The only problem was that she could sometimes be too smart. Fred knew that it would be hard to carry an intellectual conversation with her.

Fred was smart enough to be passing, but his heart was set on pranking and being the successor of Weasley Wizard Wheezes. He just didn't like it when people used big words when they could use small words. It was that simple.

Rachel didn't know what she wanted to do. The only thing on her mind was to outshine her sisters, and then she would know what she want to do.

"Fred?" Rachel asked slowly.

"Hmm?"

"Can I tell you something?"

"About?"

"Alex Carrington."

"Shoot."

Thinking over how she would say what she wanted to say, Rachel took a deep breath.

"He's evil."

Fred laughed. Rachel stared at him with a hard expression, she was stating an opinion, maybe evil wasn't the right word, but close enough.

"I know," he nodded. "I know."

"You do?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes, I mean, he did seem to tease Roxie, Dom and Rosie a lot. Then there's Ariana, but I took part in that too," he shrugged. "I guess, I know that he's vain and very narrow minded. But evil might be too strong of a word."

Thinking for a second, Rachel decided to ask a question.

"How would you describe a person who tells you they love you, but in the end they were using you the entire time?" she asked curiously.

"A player?" he suggested.

"I know that one, but why doesn't evil work?"

"It's too strong, maybe self-centered would work better. The person would be too concerned about their own thoughts than to care about the other person."

She started to think again. Maybe this Weasley is smarter than she thought. Taking a sip of her butterbeer, Rachel had a sudden urge to check if Meredith was around.

Looking around the pub, she saw older people, but no Meredith Westerveldt and nobody from school.

Sighing, she sat back in her chair and closed her eyes.

"What's up?" Fred asked. He felt slightly uncomfortable, but he was use to these serious girl talks since his sister came to him a lot.

"You can never be too careful," she shrugged.

"Huh?"

"Westerveldt."

"Ahh… Her sister is just as bad," he chuckled.

Rachel's eyes shot up and she looked at the red head in confusion. Meredith had a sister? She had no idea, she always thought it was just Meredith.

"Who's her sister?" she asked curiously.

"Bella, Bella Westerveldt," he answered. "Why don't we go somewhere else?"

She nodded slowly before realizing she didn't bring any money. Swearing under her breath, she looked up to see the redhead chuckling.

"A gentleman always pays on the first date," he teased.

"This isn't a date, Weasley," she sighed.

"Is that a sigh of sadness I hear?" Fred smirked playfully.

"No, and keep the flirting to redhead Jones she will greatly appreciate it."

Fred smiled and nodded as he dropped a few coins on the table and gestured her to follow him out of the Three Broomsticks.

As they walked along the streets, Rachel couldn't help, but go window-shopping. She had more than enough money to buy anything she wanted, the only problem was, was that she didn't exactly want anything. Everything she wanted now would only be thrown away in the future; she knew that as a fact.

"Well, maybe you do have a girly side," Fred sighed. "Do you want to go in?"

Rachel jumped at his voice and shook her head quickly before she realized she was staring into the costume store James had dragged her in last time.

She felt a hand take hers and she was being pulled into the store again.

**.**

"Can I ask you something?" Fred asked her again.

"Shoot," Rachel shrugged as she admired a bracelet.

"Ariana's mad at me because I took Nicole to the Halloween Dance. She's not talking to me at all, what should I do?"

Rachel laughed to herself. It sounded like he was asking her for advice, the girl who apparently slept with a teacher.

"Well, let her cool down and/or talk to the Scamanders about her. She seems pretty close to them. I'm sure she'll talk to you if you stop pestering her about talking to you."

Fred nods as he ponders his own thoughts.

"Now you're going to help me," Rachel leans against the window ledge. "I want to get rid of both Carrington and Potter."

"Aww, back to last names, Little Constance?"

"Yes, how do I get rid of them?"

He thought for a second. How does one get rid of Alexander Carrington and James Potter all together? Trick question, you can't. They were like scars. Wounds heal and scars fade. The two will fade in your mind, but will be freshly mentioned when someone notices the scar. It was impossible to get rid of both.

Sighing, Fred shifted through a few racks of clothing. He really couldn't help Rachel with this one. He knew that James and Rachel had to be together! Lorcan Scamander had told him so! They were meant to be!

"I don't know," he sighed to her. "They're like scars, they fade, but they're never truly gone. You'll never live to see the end of them."

"That's poetic," Rachel rolled her eyes. "I just want them out of my life."

"Sorry, I'm not much help," he shrugged.

They look around the store; silence consumed the both of them.

"You think too much," Fred announces.

Rachel just scoffed and thought to herself, 'at least I actually think before I do something stupid!'

"I think you should try living on impulse. You know, doing things without thinking about it."

"I'm no Gryffindor," she scoffed.

"You don't have to be, I swear to you, you'll like it."

As the two left the store, Rachel starts to think again. As funny as it sounds, maybe she did think too much. It was safer than doing everything on implies though. She kept herself out of a lot more trouble than if she was doing everything on impulse.

'Look where thinking has gotten you! You're on a date-that's-not-a-date with Fred Weasley! You also have massive rumors flying around about you!' she scolded herself.

It was true, she did think too much.

"Ahh, we better be heading back," Fred says as he checks his watch.

"Sounds good too me," she nods.

**.**

When they get back to Hogwarts, Fred lets out a yawn and waves to Rachel goodnight.

"Wait," Rachel stops him.

'Life on impulse,' she thought to herself.

As Fred looks down on her, he's waiting patiently for what she has to say, not what she wants to do.

Standing on her toes, she presses a quick kiss to his cheek.

"You've finally given into the Weasley charm?" Fred asked teasingly.

"No, but thanks," she says slowly. "I feel a lot better."

"I can always help, he says with a light smile before they parted ways.

* * *

**A/N: What do you think? Sorry it's short!**

**READ FOLLOWERS/FAVORITERS: Please drop a review, it won't take that long! There are a lot of you and I'd appreciate it if you give me some feedback on this story!**

**Next Chapter: Westerveldt, rumors, after the flames and Albus/Rachel time.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hogsmeade, butterbeer or Fred Weasley (sadly); they belong to the amazing JK Rowling! I do own Rachel though!**


	16. Christmas Prep

**The Lion and the Snake**

**Christmas Prep**

_**A kiss makes the heart young again and wipes out the years.**_

_**-Rupert Brooke**_

November passed in a breeze and before Rachel knew it, snow covered the ground and the days become shorter and shorter. As the days and weeks progressed, she became more acquainted with both Rose and Fred Weasley. They were close acquaintances, but she found herself closer to Fred.

Though she didn't know him quite as well as James, she still felt angry with James. Rachel couldn't help it, until he came clean about some stupid bet; she wasn't going to give him the time of day.

The day after Halloween, Meredith shoved the bet into her face with a sneer. She pretended to act bored and monotonous, but she was hurt in the inside. James had acted so sweet and kind, he didn't push her to do anything she didn't want to, unlike Alex.

"Are you okay?" Rachel asked.

"What?" Fred asked.

"You seem mad, I don't have much time because Al and I are going to study, but are you okay?"

Scratching the back of his head, he shrugged.

"What if you found something out about someone, but you weren't suppose too. Then you exploded at the person keeping the secret and it turns out they didn't even know about it either. What should you do?"

"Confusing, but maybe talk to them?" Rachel asked unsurely. "I guess its only way you'll know for sure."

"Th—"

"Merlin! I've got to go!"

She scurried off to find Al, but found her path blocked. Meredith gave her a fake smile.

"Westerveldt," she stated calmly.

"Rachel," she smiled. "Your sister's wedding is coming up and you're getting yourself a new boyfriend."

Rachel's eyebrows rose as her sister's wedding came back to mind. Katherine, the sweetest and second eldest sibling, she had invited everyone off the top of her mind. Typical Katherine.

As Meredith twirled Rachel's long hair, she leaned in and whispered to her.

"Do you want to know a secret?"

Rachel didn't move as she stared ahead of her. She waited for Meredith to go on as she knew that Meredith liked to pick on her. First she needed to hear the secret before she could determine if Meredith was lying. The only problem was that Meredith always told the truth because it hurt more than a lie. Honesty was the best policy.

"Why don't you look like any of your parents?" she went on quietly.

A crowd started to gather, listening intently on each word Meredith sneered. Rachel started to shake, what was she talking about?

"Why do all of your sisters have blonde hair and you have brown hair?"

Twirling lightly on Rachel's hair, Meredith smirked. She had known something the brilliant Rachel Constantine didn't. The world must have been ending.

"Why do you look more like your aunt than your own mother?" Meredith sneered evilly.

Rachel's eyes narrowed. No matter how many times her mother and father denied it, Rachel could always see that she was a carbon copy of her aunt.

"Have you ever wondered why that is?"

"No," she lied through her gritted teeth. "Not at all."

"Really?"

Sighing, Meredith turned on her heel walking away slowly. She was waiting for Rachel to either walk away or come after her, most likely the latter.

_'You're at your best when you show emotions,'_ Fred had told her.

Rachel pondered her thoughts even more.

_'Emotions suits you well,'_ James had commented months ago.

It made Rachel well up with anger, the fact Meredith didn't tell her what she had planned too.

_'Life on impulse…'_

"Meredith Westerveldt, turn around and tell me what you're trying to get at," Rachel snapped angrily as she spun on her heel and glared at Meredith.

The crowd gasped. Anger was evident in Rachel's eyes; they blazed and burned with such emotion that it scared Meredith. She didn't back down though, a Gryffindor shouldn't back down to a Slytherin.

"You haven't figured it out yet?" Meredith taunted. "And you're suppose to be head of the year."

"Stop playing games," Rachel snarled. "Just tell me what you're trying to get at."

"Sometimes people don't want their children. So they give them up for adoption, it might just be luck that their own sister adopted the child," she said evilly.

"Excuse me?"

"The truth hurts more than a lie," Meredith shrugged. "So I'll say it once, so listen up, darling."

Rachel almost rolled her eyes at Meredith's dramatic pause.

"Your life is a lie. Your name is a lie. Your family is a lie. You are a lie."

Meredith waltzed off with the final word. Rachel waited a few minutes before she sent a cold glare at everyone staring at her. She flipped her hair over her shoulder haughtily before walking away. If only she had her dignity, then the entire exit would be complete.

**.**

_Dear Rachel,_

_How's school been? How have you been? I hope those terrible rumors haven't been spread around again._

_My wedding is coming up and I'm so excited! You and Liana will be the bridesmaids! I have the prettiest dresses picked out for you guys! They're the loveliest color, after I think about it; it's the neutral color scheme. I feel prepared to be married to my lovely Liam Hastings._

_I can't wait to see you, Scorpius and Liana! You will love the dress, I mean, you don't like a lot of things, but you will love this dress. This will be an amazing wedding! I've already invited all of my coworkers, close friends and family! I'm so excited!_

_One week until I'm married and you'll be home soon too! I hope Melanie has come home from America. I know how she is with all that exploring._

_You know who Ariana and Aiden Jones are right? Well, their father is one of my coworkers: Andrew Jones. I invited them and I heard the girl, Ariana, has a lovely voice. Is it true? I would love to have her sing at the wedding, she's quite sweet that one._

_I cannot wait! See you soon sissy!_

_Sincerely,_

_Katherine Constantine (soon to be Hastings!)_

**.**

Rachel sighed, the wedding was coming up and she had forgotten entirely. Stuffing the letter back into her bag, she turned back to her homework. Al was sitting beside her; someone was whispering something in his ear. His eyebrows rose and he at Rachel and back at the person.

"What now?" Rachel sighed.

"You've been seeing my cousin?"

"Which one?" Rachel asked.

"Fred."

"We've talked," she shrugged. "Rose is pretty nice as well, but we're nothing more than acquaintances."

"Sounds like more than that."

"How so?" Rachel inquired. It was her turn to be surprised.

Al scratched the back of his head awkwardly. How was he going to ask his best friend about a date with his cousin? It was too awkward.

"Sources, aka Meredith, say that you two went on a date and she saw you kiss him…?"

"Miss Jones' turn to be jealous," Rachel murmured as she skimmed through the passages. "Well, I did kiss him on the cheek."

She put extra emphasis on the 'on the cheek' part, hoping that will make the subject go away.

"I know this is awkward," Al says as he runs his hands through his hair. "But are you or are you not—"

"Not. Totally not."

Rachel sighed as she stared into the fire, winter was here and the holidays were just coming. She was not prepared to go home with a fake smile and into a chaotic wedding where no one pays her any attention. Home was where Liana whined that her hair wasn't perfect, where Katherine would try to be nice, but always busy and Melanie to get the attention from the stories she tell. Her? What did Rachel get? This:

"Rachel, can you get the door?"

"Honey! Can you go help your sister?"

"Oh, Rachel! You're going over to your aunt's today!"

"Dear, you must go get ready!"

"She's the youngest daughter, not very pretty or talented like her older sisters."

"Funny, she looks more like her aunt than her own mother."

The comments would go on and on. She ignored them most of the time, or barricaded herself in her room. Scorpius would come over every now and then, but the holidays were the worst.

"Are you going home as well?" Rachel asked her friend curiously.

"Of course," Al smiled. "Can't miss grandma Molly's cooking, can I now?"

Leaning against Al's shoulder, she sighed, "What's it like? Homemade food."

"Haven't you had any?"

"No, my parents don't cook. Neither do my aunt and uncle," she shook her head.

"Oh, well, it's delicious," Al hugged his friend before describing every homemade food he ever had. From the pies and cookies to delicious homemade turkey, from there he described the potatoes and rock cakes. Everything sounded delicious that it made Rachel hungry.

By the time he finished, Rachel felt drowsy and hungry. Al kissed her forehead and leaned back against the chair. He still had to wait for Scorpius to come.

"Rachel?" he called her.

"Hmm?"

"Why are you pissed at James?"

"He lied to me," she murmured under her breath.

"Are you sure he lied to you?"

"Westerveldt says the truth hurts more than a lie," Rachel shrugged tiredly. "I'm sure she's not lying."

"Have you heard his side?"

"Not until he comes clean, then I'm going to talk to him."

"He can't come clean if you don't talk to him," Al reasoned.

By the time Al brought up that point, Rachel was already fast a sleep. The common room was deserted and Al was awake and alone.

**.**

Rachel cast a spell to put all her belongings away neatly in the trunk. Most of the student body was leaving today to go home for the holidays and Rachel was one of them. All of her other roommates were gone by the time she finished cleaning up. She was left all alone in the dormitory.

"Come on, Rachel!" Al yelled. "We're going to be late for breakfast!"

"Coming!" she called back down as she pulled on a warm sweater and quickly pulled her hair up. Surveying her appearance, she smiled lightly before leaving.

Walking down the stairs she sighed, it was rather cold out there and she wondered if someone at least started a fire.

Nope, nobody, but Al and Scorpius were there by the time she got down. Both were cold to the bone and wearing a few layers.

"Who knew it was going to be this cold?" Al asked.

"Well, none of us," Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Maybe it's because we're in the dungeon. What do you think, Rachel?"

"Maybe it's because the world hates us," Rachel shrugged. "Or someone decided to cast a random spell and make the room colder than hell."

"Rachel Estelle Constantine! Language," Scorpius joked lightly.

"Who are you?" Rachel asked sarcastically. "My mother?"

Scorpius rolled his eyes as Rachel walked down the hallway with her friends.

The days have lighten up and she hadn't been feeling troubled by a lot lately. Maybe it was because she had no homework or Meredith had stopped picking on her for a while. Either way, it took a load off Rachel's shoulder. Alex also stopped talking to her too. She felt like she had breathed for the first time in forever and it felt nice.

Then everything went downhill when James decided to talk to her.

"Rachel, please talk to me," he begged.

"There is nothing to talk about," she shrugged as she started to read her book for a distraction.

"Yeah, there is," James nodded importantly.

"No, there isn't."

"Yes—"

"No—"

"Yes—"

"No—"

"Yes—"

"No—"

"Yes—"

"No—"

"Yes—"

"No—"

"Yes—"

"No."

"No."

"Yes—"

"HAHAHA! I got you again!" James smirked at the younger girl.

Realization dawned upon her face and she glared at him firmly before shoving a cup of cocoa and whip cream into his face and promptly leaving the room. Everyone in the room either laughed or gave him a sympathetic look. They all knew Rachel was starting to show her true colors and they were green and silver all the way.

"You really shouldn't mess with her like that," Ariana commented as she started to hand him a napkin.

Being her uncoordinated self, she tipped her orange juice and it spilled all over Fred. From there, he jumped up from the table and knocked over a few platters that fell on both Roxanne and Dom. While trying to sidestep the sudden burst, they knocked over a few pitchers of pumpkin juice and water, making it spill all over Al, Scorpius and Rose.

"Umm," Ariana says slowly. "Sorry…?"

They all groaned. Chain reaction, much?

**.**

"Darling!" Daphne Constantine née Greengrass cried to Liana and Rachel. They were both swept into a hug and Rachel grimaced as she waved a goodbye to Al and Rose.

"Christmas is just around the corner and we already have amazing presents for both of you! Dresses for the annual Christmas party as well!"

"When is that, again?" Rachel asked her mother.

"In two days, we've got a bigger crowd this year and you're going to love it! Plus, Katherine's wedding is tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow?" Rachel asked speechlessly.

Thinking back through the days, she realized it's been a week and Katherine's wedding would be tomorrow.

Swearing to herself, she shot Scorpius a look. He nodded carefully as Uncle Draco and Aunt Astoria gave her a sympathetic look.

Her conversation with Meredith resurfaced into her mind. She had unfinished business with her aunt, uncle and Meredith. Good thing she was going to see Meredith tomorrow, but Meredith would just put a damper on everything.

Either way, the holiday was already started off worst than she imagined. Of course she wasn't ready for it at all, especially both the wedding and the Christmas Party.

* * *

**AN: Again, only one review...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize! It belongs to JK Rowling!**

**If I get five reviews there will be a kiss in the next chapter! ;) Five reviews and you guys will get a kiss!**

**Got It?**

**See you guys Later!**


	17. To Kiss or Not to Kiss

**The Lion and the Snake**

**To Kiss or Not to Kiss**

**_At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet._  
**

**_-Plato_**

Tying her dark hair back into a ponytail like any other day, Rachel sighed as she looked over at the dress she was going to wear for the wedding. It was pretty, like Katherine had said, but she wasn't very fond of it. Then again, she couldn't remember the last time she admired something.

Sighing once again, she heard her mother call for her.

Opening the door, she sprinted down the hall and the stairs. Bursting into the dining room, Katherine, Liam, both of her parents, Liana and Melanie were sitting there quietly. Each of them enjoying their breakfast and sitting in presentable clothing.

Rachel, on the other hand, was in her silk pajamas. Walking over to the table, her parents have her a sharp look before continuing with breakfast.

"When is Scorpius coming?" she asked her mother politely.

"In an hour or two, why don't you go get changed, darling," Daphne told her youngest daughter. "I'm sure you have something nicer in your closet."

Nodding slowly, she left the table and back into her room.

Slipping off her pajamas, she put on jeans, a white tank top on with a pink cardigan. Running back down the stairs, she ate her breakfast slowly and waited for everyone to leave.

Breakfast was better alone, at least in the Constantine Household it was. No one ever talked during mealtime and Rachel preferred it by herself or with her aunt and uncle.

**.**

After two hours, Rachel found herself glaring at the ceiling in her bedroom. Scorpius spinning in her chair and talking to her about school.

"Okay, you seemed pissed, what's up now?"

"No, no, I've always dumped my problems on you. Time for you to tell me your problems," Rachel urged.

"Well," Scorpius scratched the back of his head. "I asked mum and dad about you…"

"Clarify?"

"Remember the conversation you and Meredith had before break?"

"About looking more like Aunt Tori than my own mother? Believe me, I can't even get it out of my head," Rachel sighed in exasperation.

"Well, I asked them about that and dad choked on his coffee and mum paled so much that he could actually give dad a run for his money!"

Rachel cracked a smile. Uncle Draco and Scorpius were both awfully pale, but Rachel was extremely pale herself, so she shouldn't be talking.

"Wow," Rachel says in a slow realization. "I wanted you to tell me about your problems and it became all about me again.

Then again, she was a typical Slytherin, caring for only herself. It was her lifestyle, but she wanted to actually hear about her cousins' side of things. He had always been there for her, yet she never bothered to ask him on things.

"I know, but this is important! What if…"

"No," Rachel says firmly. "No."

"Rachel there's no denying that my mum and you are almost carbon copies!"

"No," she says a lot more sharply, sitting up, she leans against the backboard of her head. Clutching her knees to her chest and breathing slowly.

"No."

Rachel didn't want to think of he possibility that her parents might actually be her aunt and uncle. It made her heart grow cold that she was given up, she would rather be a mistake than given up. The possibility made her feel like a disgrace and sick to the stomach.

A mistake, that's all she was. She wasn't supposed to be born, she wasn't supposed to be alive. Rachel had heard her parents talking about how she was always a mistake and they only wanted three children. She was fourth and an accident. Rachel was nothing more than an accident…

It was better than being given up. At least you have parents that didn't give you up. She couldn't accept that, no matter how many times anyone would tell her that, she was going to refuse.

"Just think about it," Scorpius. "Talk to mum and dad later. Besides, I think we have to get ready. See you."

Watching her cousin leave, she picked herself up and went to change into the bridesmaid gown. It was black and white with a black ribbon around the waist. Simple, but elegant and Katherine's style to the core.

**.**

Rachel greeted the guest politely, forcing a smile on her face and shaking everyones hand or giving them a stiff hug.

By the time the wedding was about to start, Rachel's face felt sore from smiling so much and about to fall off.

Ariana greeted her with a smile that clearly said: lovely dress, I suggest you take acting lessons and go have a face massage. Fred gave her a wave, Al hugged her and she gave James a pointed look who returned her gesture with raised eyebrows. He smirked before walking off in the opposite direction.

When Alex walked through, Rachel was exhausted from being polite and smiling that when he tapped her on the shoulder; she almost slapped him in the face out of frustration. She forced the temptation down and gave him a sarcastic smile before turning away and lining the wedding gifts perfectly.

"Aww, come on Rachel, being cold again? You seemed extra feisty when Meredith was picking on you."

"All I heard was, 'blah, blah, blah. I'm an asshole.'"

"Then you need to get your ears checked," he told her.

"If I give you some Midol, will you shut up?" Rachel inquired.

"Aww, being yourself again," he kissed her on the cheek and she batted him away violently.

"Keep your filthy lips off of me and Liana is over there," she says in a low growl.

With that, she flounced off into the other direction. Leaving Alex smirking after her and James confused with the flirty exchange.

**.**

The wedding was slow and by the time the reception started, Rachel felt like curling up and sleeping. She was smarter than that though, she wasn't going to get drunk when Alex and her parents were around. Better yet, she thought that alcohol tasted terrible and she wasn't planning on drinking again any time soon.

Sighing she sat at a table and looked at everyone having fun. Well, almost everybody.

Fred was sulking off to the side while redhead Jones was forcing a smile as she talked to a boy with brown hair. Meredith was glaring at Liana who was dancing with Alex. Her mother was giving her a pointed look that clearly said: get out on the floor and dance.

She didn't oblige so easily.

Katherine got up on the stage and tapped the microphone and smiled at the large crowd.

"Wow, this is amazing," she smiled. "Now, it's time for the age old ritual where all the single girls line up and try to catch the bouquet! I can't wait to see who's getting married next!"

Many young girls and woman crowded around the stage and Rachel stayed exactly where she was. She wasn't in the mood to catch a bouquet that meant you were getting married next. Nope, not her style at all. Then again, the idea of marriage made her cringe and die inside.

Ariana was staring at the chocolate fountain, not bothering to line up as she admired the chocolate flowing out. She had a look in her eye that made her look like she was in love with the chocolate in front of her. But, a blind and observant person could obviously see she was thinking about something that upset her.

Out of no where, the bouquet flew through the air and landed in the redheads arms. She was staring at it in surprise as she looked at the bouquet of peonies in her arms. Rachel stared at the thin redhead who smiled weakly as the crowd applauded. She spotted a shiny ring on her ring finger and decided that it made total sense.

A tear was in Ariana's eyes as she set the flowers down and left the vicinity.

A tap on her shoulder surprised her and Rachel turned to see Fred standing there.

"May I have this dance?" he asked dramatically.

"No," she shook her head. "I think you have some business to attend to."

Jerking her head at the retreating redhead, Fred sighed and left. He didn't seem extremely happy, but he obliged. Rachel had a feeling that things weren't going well between the two.

**.**

After a while, the lies and the truths tortured her insides until she decided to ask her aunt and uncle about it. They were talking in the kitchen, thankful to have a little peace and quiet before their niece intruded.

"Uncle Draco," Rachel sighed. "Aunt Astoria."

"Yes, dear?" Astoria asked her niece as she sipped some tea.

"Who are my parents?"

Both Draco and Astoria dropped whatever they were holding and shared a glance. A glance meant to hold something more than the obvious. The small glance was bearing a secret too big to keep under the rug.

"Daphne and Nathaniel Constantine," Draco stuttered out.

A pained look crossed their eyes and Rachel shook her head. Tears threatening to spill because they were lying to her. It was so obvious and it hurt that they would lie to her like that, straight to her face.

"You guys care for me and love me more than my— Daphne and Nathaniel, but I never thought you guys would lie to me," Rachel snapped before dashing out of the kitchen.

Draco snapped up and attempted to go after his niece, but Astoria stopped him.

"She needs to sort this out herself…"

Scorpius may be the carbon copy of Draco, but he had his mother's personality.

Rachel was Astoria's carbon copy, but her personality lined up more with Draco than anybody else.

"She can't sort this out if she doesn't know the truth," Draco growled.

"Rachel's a smart girl, she'll figure this out and we'll be there to assist her once she does…" Astoria told her husband with a weak smile. Reminiscing about her life as a teenager, all the drama and terror of the looming war...

**.**

Rachel stormed out of the wedding, her hands balled up and her need to punch someone higher than ever. It was an odd feeling, anger, frustration and worst of all, confusion. If there was something Rachel hated more than not knowing something was being confused.

Grabbing her broom, she thought about it nervously before climbing off and leaving the vicinity. She felt happy that Katherine decided she wanted the wedding at their own house.

She didn't know what to do or say. Was Aunt Tori and Uncle Draco her real parents? It would answer all the questions about how she looked like them instead of her own parents.

Did they hate her so much that they gave her up?

The anger and pain welled up inside her as she saw the hill coming up on her left. Landing on the ground, she drops her broom and runs to the top of the snow-covered hill that looked like a mountain. She was far enough to see the top of her house and the wedding tent in the backyard.

Wiping a tear that escaped her eyes, she looked into the clear sky and whispered one word:

_"Why?"_

A question no one ever answered. She remembered when she was younger and naive that she would always asks questions out of curiosity. Her mother and father broke it when she got older saying that it wasn't polite to ask too many questions. It always interested her though, there had to be an answer behind everything, right? Apparently no because she barely knew the answer to her life any longer. Scratch that, she didn't even know who she was.

"It's nice up here," a familiar voice said. "You dropped something…"

She didn't even have to turn to see who was with her. Rachel was a hundred percent certain that it was James. His soft, calm voice that washed over her like water. Calm…

"Why'd you run out?"

"Why do you care?" she asked pointedly.

"Can't I care for a friend?" he asked.

"No, because we're not friends."

They were engulfed in silence as Rachel collapsed into the snow, shivering and staring into the distance. James propped himself up next to her and looked out into the sky. The silence was unbearable for Rachel and she wished that he would just leave, yet a small part in her wanted him to stay…

"Yeah we aren't," James nodded. "We're not friends because friends don't do this—"

She had turned to see what he was talking about and he pulled her closer. The snow was falling slowly and the moon was glowing, everything seemed too perfect to be true. Everything was in slow motion and a part of her wanted their lips to meet. Another part of her argued that it would just ruin her like Alex did. She was about to cease the moment and kiss him when a deafening scream killed the mood.

Getting to her feet she grabbed her broom and James's hand. Taking a running start, she jumps onto the broom with him by her side. There was no doubt in her mind that the scream had come from the wedding tent.

When they arrived at the tent, Rachel tossed the broom to the side and hurried in. James following closely behind her.

They entered place was in chaos as people yelled for others to get a healer and a girl hysterically crying that she had nothing to do with it. Rachel made her way to the middle to see Lily Potter panicking as she tried to explain something.

That wasn't even the worse part though.

Alex was half carrying half supporting an unconscious Ariana Jones. Glass from the cups laid shattered across the floor and she had a cut running from her cheek to her ear.

* * *

**A/N: So I didn't get five reviews so no kiss for you guys. Maybe next time or the next time or the next time!**

**I'm still sort of happy though, I usually just get 2 reviews but I got three this time!**

**How about I make a deal with you? Seven reviews or I won't post the next chapter. If I get seven really fast I will post the chapter early! Got it? See you then!**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own anything because it belongs to JK Rowling. Never mind, I own the plot, Rachel, Alex and Meredith.**


	18. Life

**The Lion and the Snake**

**Life**

**_Do all things with love._**

**_-Og Mandino_**

Nathaniel Constantine ushered Alex who was carrying the small redhead into a guest room. Fred looked incredibly worried and tried multiple times to get in, but to no prevail did it work. The Healers kept him out while they checked up on her. Apparently they couldn't have any unnecessary bystanders.

Rachel sat to the side, a hard and cold look plastered across her face. She waited like the others, but there was not much news. The healers barely knew what to do.

"Is this because of her anorexia?" she heard Fred yell. "Is it? She promised _me_ that she'd stop!"

"Damn it," Aiden Jones murmured. "She was getting bad again, but I was too worried about quidditch to realize it! Damn it!"

The two boys swore as they paced around, worried about their friend/sister. Mr. Jones sighed wearily as he thought about the letters his daughter had sent, they all said she was doing fine and that she had stopped for real. Ariana was never one to lie and of course it surprised her father that she would do such a thing. Ariana just left Rachel wondering about everything.

Rachel sighed as the Healers told Fred and Aiden to calm down again.

"Yes, her anorexia has taken quite a toll on her," the Healer, who she later found out to be Audrey Weasley, said in a flat voice. "Ariana has awaken, but she is in deep shock about something. You'll have trouble getting her to talk again…"

"Let me see her!" Fred yelled. "I want, no I need to see her! It's a life or death situation."

"Fred, mate, calm down. I'm sure you're not going to die because you didn't see her," James said calmly. "Come on."

"James, let go. I need to see her, I need to."

"You need to see her? She's my fianceé!" the brown haired boy snapped at Fred.

"You're Chris?" he demanded.

"What's it to you?"

"I'm no longer the only reason she starved herself again!"

The two boys glared at each other viciously. James knew if Ariana were here, she would grab some imaginary popcorn and pretend to eat while she egged them on further. Everything was a joke for her, just like Fred, but she had a harder time sitting through serious topics. Not only that, but if this went on any further, James was sure Fred was going to kill Chris. He couldn't let that happen because Chris was a lot bigger than Fred and the end result was not going to be pretty, he could just tell.

"Let me in," Rachel ordered to the healers. She had marched right up to them and demanded she be let in because it was her house and she had every right too. That wasn't her only reason, she wanted the two boys to stop arguing and the only way was to make sure Ariana was all right.

Nathaniel and Daphne's eyes snapped up to their youngest daughter. They watched her stand up to the healers as she ordered them to let her in.

"You can't―"

"This is my house, now let me in," Rachel enunciated each syllable carefully and clearly.

"Okay, but your friends can't come in," the man told her shortly.

"Fine, now open the door," she snapped impatiently.

Walking into the room, she saw the redhead tracing something on the back of her pale, thin hand. Ariana didn't even look up to see who was in the room as she traced whatever she was tracing over and over. She murmured something under her breath that was undecipherable and Rachel gave her a look.

"Jones," Rachel said coldly.

Ariana looked up at Rachel. Her innocent sea green eyes were glistening with tears that didn't seem to dry no matter how many times they slipped down her cheeks.

"I want to know what the hell is wrong with you," she snapped. "If I know anyone that doesn't lie or sneak around is you, even though we're not friends, this isn't you."

Rachel would know. She observed people and everyone was pretty much an interesting story to her. Her own life was an absolute mystery, then again, everyone had told her that as well. It made her think, what if she disappeared, kidnapped? If no one knew where she would go, then she could be lost forever.

The idea was a bit farfetched and off topic, but it could happen to anyone.

"You know what, there is a boatload of people out there waiting for you to get better! Why don't you just get off your sorry ass and go out there and announce to the world you're fine!"

A small smile started to creep across Ariana's thin lips.

"What are you smiling at?"

Ariana closed her eyes and turned her head. She waved her hand lightly and the lights dimmed a bit as she lay back on the bed. She stared out the window where snow was falling violently…

"What do you think about your own life?" Ariana asked Rachel dazedly.

"Excuse me?"

"You're always cold or mean, either way you never seem to enjoy your life," she commented. "What do you think about your life?"

It was an odd question, no one had ever asked Rachel such a thing. Her life was… her life. It was never good in her eyes nor was it terrible. She never liked her life nor did she hate it. The world was not black and white; sadly her life wasn't split between black and white either.

There were always shades in the middle that Rachel disliked.

"Good."

"Don't lie. I personally envied your life until I realized the cons," Ariana shrugged. "I hated my life."

"Why? How does someone hate their own life?"

"Your life, Rachel, wasn't terrible, but it was never good, right?"

"Precisely."

"Not everyone's life is like that, I never considered my life terrible, but it never was… sunny…"

**.**

* * *

_Eight years ago when I was nine, my birthday was approaching at a fast pace and dad promised me that mum would be home._

_So we went to the hospital to visit her, she was getting worse by the minute. Of course I didn't know that, she just smiled and told me everything would be all right._

_But it wasn't and would never be because she died the day my birthday came around._

_It was the worse experience ever, to mourn my mother's death on my own birthday and it became worse and worse and worse._

_First I skipped breakfast every other day for a few months, then breakfast all together. Then it went to lunch, a few months past and I lost major weight. After lunch, I skipped every kind of meal possible._

_When I fainted at the pool on my tenth birthday, they diagnosed me with anorexia and the doctors wanted to keep me in the hospital. So they did and it just made me worse, it was terrible and horrifying. The bills we would get for it because my family couldn't pay for all of it._

_I still refused to eat. The doctors were scared and they would get a few nibbles down every time they fed me, but it never worked. I got really sick, but I couldn't bring myself to eat. I couldn't stop because my mind wanted me too… I can't even explain it, but I guess my mind was use to it._

_My eleventh birthday was coming up and my father was scared that I couldn't go to Hogwarts. He talked to a few people at work and Harry Potter came to visit me. My father knew that I loved historical figures and meeting Harry Potter was something I've always wanted to do._

_He brought me to Hogwarts and I talked to the pictures around there, Dumbledore especially…_

_I still remember what he told me when I was ten, he said: Beat your disorder and you can come to Hogwarts, and learn anything you want._

_So I did. It took a few months and even if I came late to Hogwarts, I still got to where I am today._

_You know the rest… The bullying, but it didn't hurt that much until I was fourteen and I started to skip meals again. After the fire happened, I got better and from there it was a roller coaster of skipping meals and eating every now and then..._

_Then I found out I was getting married. Yes, not even two weeks ago did I find out that my father arranged me to be married before the end of this year?_

_Why? Because my father had just lost his job and we could no longer pay for the hospital bills._

_I was mad at myself for doing this to myself. I slipped into another one of my phases. What's even worse is the person who I was betrothed too doesn't care. He… He ignored me and then hit me one day when he was drunk…_

_I tried telling someone, but Fred was mad at me and Aiden was busy. Dad didn't seem to listen and no one understood. Even if Chris, the guy I'm betrothed too, promised he would never do it again, I didn't trust him..._

_The phase I slipped into before Chris hit me ended, but another one came and that one lasted longer, until this fateful day…_

* * *

**.**

The talk she had with Jones made her realized that she never had the bed end of things. Even if Ariana shrugged it all off like that and said that so many people had so much worse than her made Rachel cringe. She never did that because she always felt entitled to self-pity. It was her way of life to have everything she wanted.

"I didn't know this."

"I didn't expect you too," Ariana says with a shrug, a grin spreading across her thin lips.

"For the past six years I've known you, I could read you like and open book. Wait, I could read everyone like a book," Rachel shrugged.

"I managed to shrug that part off most," she nodded. "It feels nice to have this off of my shoulder. I would've told Fred, but he was pissed at me and you're a very good listener."

"Thank you..."

"I guess the fainting really did work in my favor after all," she smirked like she was becoming herself again.

"What?!"

"I knew they were never going to let someone in, so I decided to act like I was in shock and wait for someone to force themselves in. Hey look, it was you."

"So this was all..."

"Nope, I didn't intend on fainting and I think dad's going to pull me out of school," she sighed sadly. "I just wanted to talk to someone..."

"Well... I think you should rest."

"Yeah... Already on that," she smiled as she lay back on her pillow and instantly drifted off.

**.**

She walked into her father's office to see her father, mother, aunt and uncle sitting in a circle. Spinning on her heel she was about to leave when her aunt's voice made her stop.

"Rachel, please."

"No, there is nothing to talk about," she says sharply. "I don't want to be in any of your guys presence, so leave me alone!"

Rachel would have kept walking if Daphne had not stopped her.

"Rachel Estelle Constantine, sit down!"

Turning on her heel, she glared at everyone in the room. Her icy, celery green eyes made everything colder as she stood frozen in her spot at the door. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave her elders a look that clearly said she was pissed.

Rachel was always pissed, but she had never been this mad at someone. Sure, she was mad at James for lying to her and Scorpius for teasing her too much, but that was different, this was different.

"I don't care of you disown me," Rachel growled at her _'mother.'_

"What―"

"Because I'm not even your real daughter, am I?" she demanded angrily. "Do you know what I want to know? I want to know why."

Rachel started to pace around the room; she used her hands as she ranted angrily. Everything she said made the adults in the room cringe.

"I want to know why I'm here," she says. "I want to know who my parents are! Who am I? Who was I supposed to be? Is my life a lie? Am I a lie?"

She glared at her parents when she stopped to look at them. Every ounce of her self-control seemed to be somewhere else, but she still kept herself from crying. Rachel Constantine doesn't cry…

"Lucius Malfoy," Daphne started. "He wanted us to take you…"

"Why?"

"Because Malfoy's are only suppose to have one, male heir," Draco sighed. "When you were born, Lucius was angry with us. He took you away after we gave you a name..."

"So who am I?"

"You're Rachel."

"Explain! I can't be just Rachel! What is my surname?"

"It should be Rachel Malfoy, but you're Rachel Constantine…"

"Did you ever get to hold me?" Rachel demanded to her aunt.

"Yes… I held you and Scorpius in both of my arms, looking down at both of your lovely eyes. Green and gray, wide and curious…"

"Then you gave me away, just great," she throws her hands up in the air with frustration.

Spinning on her heel she started to leave the room. When Rachel got to the door, she turned around and gave everyone a look.

"You know, don't even try looking for me because I'm nothing more than a mistake. Aren't I?"

"Young lady―"

"Don't even try that _Nathaniel_," she snapped. "_Draco and Astoria_, you gave me up once and I don't need to hear it again. _Nathaniel and Daphne_, I've heard it enough to know that I_am_ a mistake."

Astoria felt like someone had punched her in the stomach and slapped her across the face. She watched her 'daughter' leave in such anger that it scared her. The only thing she felt relieved about was that there was no war looming over her child's head constantly...

**.**

Rachel stormed out and she sprinted down the stairs, then out of the house. Even when her _sisters, cousin_ and everyone who attended the wedding tried to stop her, she snapped at them fiercely before leaving angrily. She didn't bring her wand with her and she caught Alex giving her a forlorn look before she slammed the door.

Grabbing the broom, she flew far away, the air cold against her skin, as she didn't take along a cloak. It wasn't until tears started to fall that she realized she was getting lightheaded. Her breathing was rapid and she looked around.

Rachel's breath began to pick up and she started to freak out as a memory came into her mind. Months ago Liana was being competitive and they flew over a lake near their house and Liana knocked her down. Before she knew it, Rachel hit the ground and was drowning as water filled her lungs and her vision became too blurry to see.

It began to happen again as her hands slipped off her broom. Everything was happening so fast and a gasp escaped her lips as she felt the broom fly away from her.

The last thing she saw was the light from the town below shining into her eyes with happiness that made her jealous of their glee… Something she didn't have and felt like she would never have.

* * *

**A/N: So… Thanks for the reviews! You guys were very eager for the next chapter! Let's keep that up! They do encourage me to write better! Like A LOT! Teehee, I updated early, guys :)**

**Next chapter is eight reviews until the next update!**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own anything because JK Rowling does. I do own Meredith, Alex, Rachel and the fact she's Scorp's sis.**

**Last Thing: Should I merge Fred's and Ariana's story into this one? Because I gave you guys a significant amount of Ariana's past so should I? Go vote on the poll!**


	19. The Cat's Out of the Bag

**The Lion and the Snake**

**The Cat's Out of the Bag**

**_Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop._**

**_-H. L. Mencken_**

"God damn it, Rachel!" James yelled. He sped up on his broom and caught her in the nick of time.

Her bare arms were cold to the touch and she shuddered as a breeze went by.

"What the hell, Rachel?" he asked her. "Why are you out here without a coat and your wand?"

She responded by nuzzling her face into his chest. Rachel was too tired to say anything and she didn't want to say anything either.

"Okay, okay, I'll take you home-"

"No, she murmured into his cloak. "No..."

"Then where should I take me?"

"Anywhere, but _home_..."

With that her breathing evened out and she slept soundly in his arms.

**.**

Dropping his broom in the shed, James carried Rachel up to his room and set her down on his bed. He brushed her messy, dark hair out of her face before kissing forehead. Rachel's pale face was soft and innocent, her pink lips were parted slightly and she was so... small.

Sighing, James grabbed his pajamas and changed before leaving to make some cocoa.

Putting the milk in the saucer and leaving it to boil, he went to contact his parents through the floo network.

"Constantine Manor," he said to the fireplace.

"Fred?"

"James? Where are you?"

"Home," he sighed. "I brought Rachel here because she didn't want to go home."

"Going to get some action?" Fred said cheekily. He momentarily slipped out of his serious state and wiggled his eyebrows.

"You tell me, she fell off her broom and nearly died. Then she fell asleep while I flew home... Now I'm making cocoa while she sleeps, so?"

"You really struck home," he answered sarcastically.

"Thanks for being so supportive," James said sardonically.

"Your welcome."

"Oh, is Jones okay? Can you tell my parents I'm at home?"

"Yeah, Ariana is okay and sure," Fred, sighed. "See you tomorrow."

James sprinted back to the kitchen, but before he got in he heard a thump coming from upstairs. It sounded like something had fallen, but what?

Turning the stove off, he ran up the stairs with his wand in hand. Slowly turning the corner, no one was there. Then he journeyed to his room, which was just down the hall.

Opening the door, the blankets were across the floor and Rachel was pressed up against the wall. She held her knees to her chest and she was rubbing her arms in a comforting way.

"James won't hurt me, James won't me, James won't hurt me," she told herself over and over. "He's not Alex, he's not Alex, he's not Alex."

She looked like she was trying to convince herself of it, but was failing desperately.

Sitting down before her, she looked up with wide eyes before he held his arms open. Quickly she fell into his hug and choked back tears. Her breathing was rapid and uneven, she was getting dizzy, but she couldn't stop...

Stroking her hair, he murmured in her hear that everything was going to be all right. James wanted to promise her that, but Rachel hated it when people made promises they couldn't keep.

**.**

An hour or two later, James was holding Rachel in his arms and she was sitting on his lap. Her head was in the crook of his neck and she stared out the window silently. Rachel's dainty fingers were playing with the ends of James' hair and he wanted to pull her closer, but feared she would freak out. James talked about his past Christmas' and waited for her to be ready to talk.

"I can tell you anything... right?" she asked, uncertainty laced in her voice.

"Yeah, anything..."

"Alexander Carrington used me," she said quickly.

A silence passed through the two as James stared at her, dumbfounded. He searched her celery, green eyes to see if she was lying, but she wasn't. One of his best friends... used her? He had a feeling that he was part of this somehow, but could barely remember his fifth year...

"W-w-what?" he spluttered.

"You don't believe me?" she asked, slightly discouraged.

"No," James said quickly. "I believe you, but how?"

"I never told anyone this," she says, clearly under stress.

"You can tell me," he told her gently. "Please."

**.**

* * *

_Fourth year, Rachel had the tiniest of crushes on Alex Carrington. Unlike any other girl, she didn't fawn or swoon, instead she ignored her feelings and decided they were stupid._

_ It happened on a blissful fall day, Rachel ran outside trying to find her cousin and her best friend. They were nowhere in sight, but she ran into Alex instead._

_ "Hey, your name's Rachel, right?" he asked with a smile._

_"Yeah," she answered cautiously. "What's yours?"_

_ She had done it purposefully so she didn't seem like a loser._

_ "Alex," he gave her his most charming smile. Taking her hand in his, he bent down and kissed it. "Very nice to meet you, my lady."_

_ Rachel beamed at him and she never felt so happy._

_**.**_

_ It was her fifteenth birthday, along with Scorpius' and he threw a big party with Al and some other Slytherins._

_ Alex snuck up behind her and covered her eyes._

_ "Guess who," he said in a seductive voice._

_ Rachel giggled. Like, a real, not fake high-pitched ones girls used to catch her boyfriends attention, but a real one. _

_ "Oh, I don't know..." she says with a smirk._

_ Turning around, she pressed a quick kiss to his lips and Scorpius rolled his eyes._

_ "So, let's dance!"_

_**.**_

_ The world was spinning before her eyes and Rachel had no tolerance for alcohol at all. She felt someone wrap his or her arms around her waist and kiss her neck. Turning her head slightly, she saw Alex's messy brown hair._

_ "Alex," she whispered. "Not here... I'm tired..."_

_ "Then go to sleep, silly," he whispered in her ear._

_ "Yeah, I think I should be heading to bed," Rachel yawned. "Goodnight..."_

_ Taking her hand he led her up the stairs, whispering a spell, he led her up to her room._

_ "How'd-"_

_ Flicking his wand, the door shut and locked. _

_ "What—"_

_ "Do you love me?" he asked her seriously. _

_ Rachel wavered with her answer. Did she love him? She didn't know. Sure, he was everything she every wanted, but did she love him? He flirted with other girls and some times would ignore her, but did she love him? _

_ Looking away, she shrugged with misty eyes. Rachel wanted to say yes, but something in her mind was keeping her from saying it. _

_ "Let me change that," he whispered before kissing her softly and hungrily. _

_**.**_

_ The next day, Rachel came up to talk to him. _

_ "Oh, last night was great," he smiled mischievously and evilly. "I'm going to miss you and this school."_

_ When he said that he'd miss her, Rachel looked up immediately and realized he was moving. He was going to be gone forever and their relationship was nothing to him. _

_ "W-w-what?"_

_ "Didn't you hear? I'm moving."_

_ "How—"_

_ "About our relationship… Yeah, we're done," with that he skipped off haughtily and Rachel stared after him. She didn't tear up, but she looked surprised and hurt. Something in her was struck, hard and she felt sick to the stomach. Last night was terrible and she felt terrible. _

**_._**

_It was the last day of her fourth year and Rachel was as enclosed as ever. _

_Alex came up to her with his smirk. People watched closely at their encounter because of their sudden split and everyone wanted to know why._

_"So, are you going to miss me? We can meet up during the summer and have at each other in the Leaky Cauldron."_

_"You know what Carrington?" she asked in a sickeningly sweet voice. _

_"What?"_

_"How do you feel about physical touch?"_

_He smirked, "Coming from you, love it."_

_"Good," she says before slapping him across the face fiercely. With that, she flounced off in the other direction feeling quite proud of herself. _

* * *

**.**

"I'm sorry…"

"No, but can you tell me something?" Rachel asked after she finished her story.

"Sure, anything."

"Is this bet Meredith told me… real?"

"No," James whispered as he pulled her closer to him.

Sighing in her green apple scent, he wished he wasn't lying straight to her face. James needed to set this straight, even if it meant losing a hundred galleons to his cousin.

Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed quietly. Green eyes met brown and they looked at each other for a while. The violent snowstorm outside was forgotten in the warm room.

"Why do you pester me?" she asked him. "Even when I give you the cold shoulder and everything, you still talk to me…"

"Because I like you, and I'm stubborn," James shrugged. "I'm not going to give up because you don't give me the time of day."

She laughed under her breath as she pulled her arms to her side and leaned against James' chest. Sighing, she looked out the window. The wind was blowing fiercely and Rachel wished she didn't leave so abruptly.

"You know my granddad liked this one girl that he annoyed her so much that she married him."

"What? How?!"

"Apparently they were just meant to be… My granddad was big-headed and annoyingly handsome like me," James laughed. "That's what annoyed my grand mum so much. Then he deflated himself a little in seventh year and got head boy that my grand mum just fell for him."

"I still don't think that's possible. I mean people don't just change overnight!"

"Come on, Rachel. Be logical, it wasn't over night," James rolled his eyes. "Your use your mind."

"Then—"

"It was hard, but he managed to deflate himself just enough. Of course, it was a work in progress!"

**.**

Hours passed and before she knew it, she was lying on her back and staring up at the ceiling. James had somehow enchanted the ceiling to look like the night sky like Hogwarts. It interested Rachel; she had looked for the spell, but never succeeded.

Sighing, James opened the door and brought her a cup of tea as she requested. Getting up, she accepted the cup with a smile and took a tentative sip. Sitting down next to her, he sipped his own cup of cocoa.

"My parents will be home soon, along with Al and Lily."

"I think I should be going home then," Rachel shrugged. "After I give Al his present, of course."

"Did you get me one?"

"No," she answered bluntly. "When I went Christmas shopping, I was still mad at you."

"Oh, then I shall give your present to Lily!"

"I'm sure she'll love it," Rachel rolled her eyes. "I know you didn't get me a present either."

"How—"

"Like everyone else in the school, you're very easy to read."

James rolled his eyes and finished his cocoa up. Rachel took a deep breath of her warm tea and exhaled deeply. Everything was calmer and a lot less stressful when she told people stuff. It seemed like loads off her shoulder and the world didn't seem as terrible or tiring.

"So, why did you leave the wedding?"

"The first time?"

"Both."

"Let's just say, Meredith knows a lot more about me than I do."

He gave her a look as he took her teacup and left the room to put it away.

Rachel looked around his simple bedroom. There were posters of quidditch players, his wand was on his desk and there was parchment and quills scattered across the room along with books and clothing. James' room wasn't terribly messy, but not the neatest room of them all. Rachel's room was the epitome of perfect, everything was straight and there was never anything out of place. She had OCD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, but that wasn't the only thing that made her clean her room so nicely.

Sighing, she lay back down and closed her eyes.

**.**

They lay side by side on his bed, holding hands as everything bad melted away. James' parents hadn't come home yet and she started to vent about the year. From the beginning of every encounter with Meredith, how she was allergic to cats, to why Alex kept pestering her and the Halloween incident.

Everything started to piece together and the world outside seemed to disappear as Rachel opened up to James. Sure, Al and Scorpius knew a lot about her, but letting James know took a lot off of her. She was no longer carrying a huge burden by herself because someone was there to listen and understand, or rather listen and not prod.

After a while, they heard chattering from downstairs, making Rachel leap off of the bed and hurry to straighten her hair and dress. James chuckled, as she already looked too perfect to be true.

"Rachel, come on, it's just my parents and sibling," he took her hand away from her hair and led her to the door. "Besides, Al and I look way worse in the morning than that."

She was not used to having her hair disheveled or her clothes a mess. Not even a hair was out of place when she woke up! Perfection in her look was something Rachel had mastered and was proud of it. Yet, no one seemed to care anyways.

"Fine, but first—"

Rachel turned to him and James gave her a confused look. Standing on her toes, she pressed a kiss to his lips before pulling away quickly. With a smile, she opened the door and walked out like a princess ready for the crowd.

James started dumbfounded for a few seconds before following closely behind.

"What was that about?"

"A thank you," she shrugged.

"Then your welcome," he leaned in to kiss her, but she quickly turned her head and he kissed her cheek.

She smirked lightly before continuing her walk down the stairs and James rolling his eyes at the girl.

_Girls, they always leave you wanting more…_

Now that the cat was out of the bag, James still had to set things straight with Fred. Meaning he was going to call off the bet and pay up, Rachel was someone special to him and he didn't want to lose her over that.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry it's boring; at least you get to know more about Rachel! Thanks for the REVIEWS! They make my day brighter! **

**You guys didn't meet the goal of eight, but I wanted to update anyways. Oh, and I was sort of busy because it was my friends birthday and my other friend moved D: **

**Eight more reviews? Please? Thanks.**

**My instagram username: achu00! Follow me!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize! It belongs to JK Rowling!**


	20. The Calm before the Storm

**The Lion and the Snake**

**The Calm before the Storm**

**_A loving heart is the truest wisdom._**

**_-Charles Dickens_**

Meredith felt troubled. Alex had broken up with her for Constantine, Liana Constantine. It wasn't necessarily bad and Meredith wasn't hurt, but she still wanted revenge. It didn't matter if it were on Rachel or Liana, either way; she was going to destroy one of them.

Of course, who was better at revenge than Meredith herself? She lived for revenge her middle name was vengeance. No it wasn't Meredith who was the best at revenge, it was her sister. Bella Westerveldt was the better sister to go to when you needed revenge done. She had more expercience and had nasty tricks up her sleeve.

So she goes to her older sister about it.

"Oh I'm so sorry, honey," Bella gives her younger sister a hug. "I guess that makes two of us who needs to crack a plan."

"You need to too?"

"Yeah."

"Oh who?"

"Nicole wants to Fred Weasley, but that menace Jones has gotten in the way," Bella rolled her eyes. "I kill when we need food and when I'm bored."

"I like the way you think, make it three people we have to get back at," Meredith smirked.

"The more the merrier!"

The two sisters get working on their master plan of evil. Of course saving the best for last, Rachel.

**.**

Rachel was confused. She had never cooked before and making eggs was a lot harder than she had ever imagined.

For one, you had to crack the egg without getting the shell into the mixture. That was the hardest part and she didn't even know how to cook it after that. Don't even get her started on that, cooking was just not her thing.

It was weird, for a girl who could do absolutely anything she put her mind too, could not cook. No matter how patient she was, it was hard and wearing down her patience. Of course, Rachel was never a patient person because she learned quickly and things that didn't come to her, frustrated her.

Unfortunately, she stood in front of the counter for a good forty-five before deciding she should just wait for Mrs. Potter to wake up.

Rachel had stayed the night and the Potter's didn't mind at all. She then realized that she forgot Al's present at home and sighed sadly before going to bed. Ginny had dug out some of her old pajamas and let her sleep in them. She shook her head and said she would sleep in her dress.

Sadly that wasn't the only thing on her mind. She looked around the Potter's home and realized that their home was nicer than her own. Sure, her manor was huge and beautiful, but the Potter Household was just amazing.

Every corner she turned, it was warm and cozy unlike her cold and empty house. Then there was a real Christmas tree with an assortment of presents under it. At the Constantine Manor, her parents gave her, her presents first thing in the morning. Then her parents would take her and her sisters to some party and find them 'suitors.'

She wasn't fond of it and acted as cold and distant as possible, it was easy because she was naturally cold and distant. The boys would flock around Liana anyways and Rachel stayed off to the side, minding her own business.

Sighing, she heard something fall in the kitchen and ran to see what it was.

Rachel had left the eggs on the counter and they had rolled off and made a mess on the ground. Murmuring swears under her breath, she went to clean it up.

"You do know that you should crack an egg over a bowl, right?" a teasing voice asked.

"Shut it, James," she growled. "It slid off the counter."

"What are you trying to do?"

"I was hungry, so I went to make myself something. Sadly, I realized I didn't know how to cook," Rachel shrugged as she gestured to the open cookbook and the broken eggs on the floor.

Chuckling, James washed the floor with a flick of his wand; taking out a frying pan and a few eggs, he gives Rachel a smirk.

"Watch closely, my grasshopper," he says stoically.

James spread a bit of butter on the pan and quickly puts a fire under it. Taking an egg in his hand and tapped the side of the egg on the side of the pan and put his fingers in between the small crack. Breaking it into two halves, the raw egg drops cleanly onto the sizzling pan.

Rachel clapped dryly with a roll of her eyes.

"So amazing, I'm sure any intelligible person could have done that," she told him.

"Ahhh, but you couldn't, so don't sass me missy."

Rolling her eyes, she pushed James to the side lightly and took an egg in his hand.

"Watch," she smiles as she sucks in her breath.

Doing just as James had taught her, she tapped the egg on the side of the pan and quickly opened it above the sizzling pan. It fell in just as nicely as the last one.

"Good, good," James shrugs. "Do you know what to do next?"

"I want sunny side up, so you can do it, cooking guru," Rachel answered dramatically.

"Will do, my grasshopper," he said as melodramatic as he could.

Rachel felt a laugh coming on when suddenly James pecked her on the lips before smirking.

"I win," he said cockily.

"Don't be too cocky," Rachel warned. "Those who are need to be knocked down a few pegs and I know exactly how to do so."

"You shouldn't be talking," James retorted.

Rachel shook her head and sighed with a small grin on her lips.

**.**

Scorpius woke up with a nightmare. His parents had just come clean to him and he wasn't the least bit surprise, he was hurt though.

Jumping out of bed, he took a quick shower, dressed and decided that he would go to the Potters. Al had owled him and told him that Rachel was over at their house. Not only that, but she kissed James and the information was credible because it came from Lily. Come on, Lily was the biggest gossiper besides Meredith and Bella.

"Mum, dad, I'm going to the Potters!"

"Be back by ten, and if you can, get Rachel," Astoria told her son.

"I know!"

Taking a handful of floo powder, he yelled: the Potter Household clearly.

"DAMN!"

Scorpius had fallen on someone and he realized that it was his best mate, Al.

"Sorry, mate," he told Al sheepishly. "Where were you heading?"

"Your house," Al shrugged. "Don't go in the kitchen, the love birds are cooking."

"Is that a good or bad thing?"

"Let's just say Lily went to get some toast and she saw them canoodling or something," Al shrugged.

"Albus Potter, take that back or I will throw eggs at you!" Rachel's unusual happy tone called out shrilly.

"NO!"

"All I did was kiss her, once!" James yelled in his defense.

"Great, that doesn't prevent me from castrating you personally," Scorpius rolled his eyes. "I have to talk to Rachel, _now and alone_."

He put extra emphasis on now and alone with a slightly sharper tone because the Potter children were nosy and had the signature Weasley gene of meddling.

Rachel threw Al's coat over her shoulders and followed Scorpius out of the house. They walked down the hill and sat on a random bench that was there.

"What's up?"

"Isn't that my question?" Scorpius joked.

"Yeah, but… I'm actually feeling quite happy today, unlike you."

"Mum and dad came clean," he told her abruptly. "Come home, Rachel."

Her face stiffened visibly, her features became more defined with the usual strictness and tightness she always had. It had become unexpectedly colder as well, something Rachel had never portrayed, someone as cold as the girl beside Scorpius.

"No."

"Why?"

"I can't face them now, not now, not ever," Rachel shook her head. "There's a reason I was sorted into Slytherin."

"You can't face our parents, but you're going to kiss James? This is ridiculous!"

"What is that suppose to mean?" Rachel bit out snidely.

"Well, I know what happened on our fifteenth birthday," Scorpius snapped. "I know that stuff, not only that, but I know you're going to get hurt again!"

"How the hell do you know?"

"Some twin telepathic thing? I don't know! I had my suspicions and I ask you all the time, but you never tell me anything!"

"James is not going to hurt me, he's not… _Alex_."

"He's Alex's friend!"

"They're not the same person!"

"You're going to get hurt, he's going to hurt you!"

"Stop being so overprotective Scorpius, I can take care of myself, I have for the last few years!" Rachel snapped coldly.

"You're selfish," Scorpius told her coldly. "Have you ever considered caring for someone else's need besides yours?"

"I—"

"Everything you say is always about yourself and I let that go on because I care about YOU! Why can't you take the time to ask me about me!"

"I did yesterday!"

"Yeah, for like five-seconds! Then everything was _you, you, YOU_!"

"Stop—"

"I'm sick of this," Scorpius said in disgust. "I'm done with you. If you ever decide you'll start being a little less selfish, mum and dad really want to talk to you."

With that, Scorpius stormed back into the house. Rachel was left outside, snow had started to fall again and the wind was picking up. She waited a little while longer before she was sure Scorpius was gone.

Walking into the house, she hung up Al's coat and walked into the living room. James was nowhere in sight, instead Lily and Al sat on the floor playing a game.

Rachel sighed before deciding that she should go home. She had left for her own selfish reasons when the news was just as surprising and new to Scorpius. It was selfish of her to leave because she didn't want it to be true; at least Scorpius had the decency to stay.

Bidding the Potter's goodbye, she flooed to the Malfoy Manor.

**.**

_"You. Did. WHAT?"_ Lucius Malfoy screeched at his son. "WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT THIS‽"

"Rachel's a smart girl, she was going to figure out sooner or later," Draco told his father coldly.

"I would have preferred later! NEVER!"

"Well, she found out, but what source? We don't know."

A silence passed through the room, Draco and Astoria had no idea how she figured out. Sure, she looked a lot like Astoria, but it could have been a coincident.

Lucius had taken Rachel and forced the Constantine's in adopting her with the idea of making sure the Malfoy's only had one heir. One heir that was male, not female like Rachel. He didn't want a girl ruining the Malfoy name.

"Meredith," Scorpius whispered.

"Excuse me?" Lucius turned his attention to his grandson. "What did you just say?"

"Meredith Westerveldt knew for some reason and she egged Rachel on, of course she put two and two together a long time ago, but her suspicions were just recently confirmed."

"Exactly," a dry voice said. "That's what happened, _grandfather_."

Lucius, Draco, Astoria and Scorpius turned around to see Rachel leaning against the fireplace. Her arms were crossed and she had an apathetic look in her eye that she had mastered over the year. She looked lifeless, a look Draco didn't want his once charismatic little girl to look like.

Rachel clicked her tongue at the adults and Scorpius. Her fingers ran along the furniture, but it seemed more like a habit than anything else. Light footsteps padded scores the room as she stepped into the middle.

"So, g_randfather_," she put extra and dry emphasis on the wretched word. "How's life treating you?"

Lucius stared at the well-poised, cold and high-class granddaughter. Her green eyes were narrowed icily and she looked around, waiting for someone to answer.

"Didn't anyone tell you?" Rachel asked snidely. "It's impolite to not answer?"

"Do not use that tone with me, young lady!" Lucius roared.

"What tone?"

"That one!"

Rachel snickered before turning on her heel and looking around the room. It hadn't changed much from when she had last seen it. Nothing was out of place and everything was rather expensive, then again, this was the _Malfoy Manor_.

"Where have you been?" Astoria asked her daughter.

"Where have _I_ been? _Where have I been_?" Rachel exclaimed. "At home."

"Daphne—"

"Not that home, my _actual one_," she rolled her eyes. "Where I actually feel safe and welcomed."

Lucius growled as Rachel picked up the expensive china plate from the table. Her fineries ran along the lip of the plate and inspected it like there was something more.

"Rachel, let me explain—" Draco started.

"If anyone should be explaining," Rachel hissed. "It should be him."

She was pointing her slender, elegant fingers at Lucius. He growled at the rude gesture before waving it off.

"Why should I be explaining?"

"If I heard correctly," Rachel tapped her chin thoughtfully. "It was you who put me with the Constantines!"

Lucius was getting irritated with her tone. He had never had anyone speak to him like that people respected him. Rachel didn't.

"Why do you—"

"Because it was hell!" she snapped angrily. "My entire life was _HELL! The worse kind!_"

"Language—"

"Don't even say that. You don't even know what I went through. I was shunned; they dropped me off here almost every day! They constantly compared me to Liana! _LIANA!_ Perfect Liana! Not only that, but I asked them why, they said I was a mistake! RIGHT TO MY FACE! I was a mistake! They said that, to me! Not only that, they criticized my hair, my eyes, my complexion! Everything! My so-called father denied my existence when I was five because I asked too many questions and I was curious! They both told me to my face that I would never be as pretty as Liana; as sweet as Katherine; as daring as Melanie!"

Her rant left the adults quiet as Astoria started to tear up. Draco watched his daughter glare, her eyes screaming at them to do something. She hated that they sat so unresponsive before her.

"I wasn't lovely Liana! I wasn't charismatic Katherine! I wasn't daring Melanie," Rachel said. "I was Rachel. The last daughter, nothing special, just Rachel."

**.**

The Malfoy family endured an overly awkward and uncomfortable breakfast as they got news that Daphne and Nathaniel would be joining them shortly. They were, of course, bringing Liana and Melanie along. Katherine had already left for her honeymoon to who-knows-where.

Not only that, but today was the Gala for promoting a new gaming system Draco's friend had invented. It was just a prototype, but it was just for show today.

"Rachel, I have a few of your old dresses upstairs for the occasion," Astoria said quietly.

"Will do," she shrugged as she flipped through a magazine.

Rachel was pissed at everyone. She loved Scorpius to bits and didn't want him to be mad at her, but everyone else, not so much. At the moment, she wanted Scorpius's forgiveness and an answer. Lucius refused to give her any answers she wanted and that put her in a mad mood.

She and Scorpius avoided each other like the plague at the moment and it had everything to do with their little spat. They had never fought like that and it stung to see the other going on with their lives like nothing happened.

Running up the stairs, she went into her guest room and opened the closet.

She was immediately faced with dresses galore. From the time she was an infant, wearing frilly, pink dresses to elegant gowns for special occasions. They ranged in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles; every dress was different and special.

She reached in and held dress after dress in front of her. Red, purple, blue, magenta, yellow, green, there was an abundance of colors.

Finally coming to the conclusion of a green dress she wore last year for for Daphne's friend's wedding. Slipping on the shoes that came along with the dress, she surveyed her appearance in the mirror.

Her hair was a slight mess and she smiled. It wasn't forced as she remembered James, Al, Scorpius, Fred, Ariana, maybe even Rose! Her mind traveled to he people who were there for her, even if it was for a short time.

Brushing through her hair, she looked around for something to put it up.

She felt a hand pulling her hair up lightly and twisting it into a neat bun. She looked up to see Astoria standing over her with soft eyes.

"You look beautiful, Rachel," she commented. "I missed sixteen years of your life, you growing up and becoming who you are today."

"_Then why did you let me go?_" Rachel asked.

**.**

James flooed over to Uncle George and Aunt Angelina's house to talk to Fred. He had to call off the bet before it was too late.

"Hey, James," Roxie says distractedly.

"Hey, Rox, where's Fred?"

"Getting ready to leave," she shrugged.

"Why?"

"He's going to the hospital."

"Don't tell me he hurt himself," James sighed.

"Go talk to him yourself!"

"Fine."

Running up the stairs, Fred was in his normal attire. He was cleaning up his room with a quick spell and running his hands through his hair, looking dejected.

"Oi, Fred, we need to call off the bet."

"Why?"

"Rachel."

Fred smirked lightly before turning serious again.

"Did you finally get her to become your girlfriend?"

"No…"

"Then why?"

"I can't hurt her, especially if she finds out about this bet," James shook his head.

"Fine."

"Really?"

"You still owe me a hundred galleons!"

"Fine," James sighed grudgingly. "So, what's up mate?"

"I'm going to a muggle hospital."

"Why?"

"I'm going to visit Ariana. Her father pulled her out of school and she's being kept at a muggle hospital because they need to 'watch her eating habits.'"

"Can I come?"

"You—"

"Jones is my friend and I care about her, just like you."

"Fine."

**.**

"Lucius Malfoy," Rachel stated. Night had fallen and the gala had begun, Rachel had come to find her grandfather for answers.

He turned to see his granddaughter standing there like she was in charge. Her green eyes were as cold as ever and she held her head high like Nathaniel and Daphne taught her.

"What do you want?"

"Rude, didn't your parents teach you any manners?"

Rachel shut the door to the living room and fixed her cold glare on her grandfather.

"I want to know now, I want to know everything that went on behind my back in the last sixteen years of my life," she demanded.

"And why should I tell you?" Lucius asked coldly.

"Because there is a boat load of people out there that respects the Malfoy name. They think I'm the youngest Constantine daughter, and I can go to my lawyer and request for any information on my birth, then announce it to everyone the scandal the oh so great Lucius Malfoy has been pulling," she threatened him.

He glared at his granddaughter with cold, gray eyes. She had really grown from her days of curiosity and questions to someone who was a young lady and knew how to manipulate situations for her own good. Rachel was a true Slytherin and Lucius should have been proud, but he wasn't. His own granddaughter was blackmailing him into telling the truth and the eldest Malfoy should not be put into such a situation.

"So? What's it going to be?" Rachel asked slyly. "My lawyer is just antsy to dig up a _Malfoy scandal_."

Lucius looked out the window. The snow was falling lightly again and he needed to think something up. He needed to think of something to blackmail her back with or even better, shut her up for good. Yet, nothing came to mind and he needed time.

"After the gala, darling."

"Do not call me that, and fine, swear on your own life," she demanded.

"Excuse me?"

"I want you to swear on your own life that you will tell me everything after the gala."

The unbreakable vow had always been serious, but swearing on someones life was almost unspeakable to the pureblood population. They took it very seriously even though it was just a myth.

"Fine, I, Lucius Malfoy, swear on my own life that I will tell Rachel Estelle Constantine the truth after the gala."

With that, he smirked as Rachel turned and left the room as he revealed his crossed fingers. Slytherins never play by rules and they manipulate the situation for their own good.

**.**

The doors opened they found the little redhead humming to a Christmas song as she tapped a rhythm on the counter. Food laid out for her, but she didn't touch a thing.

Fred had gone to get some coffee and James entered the ward without him.

"Hello, Potter!" she says gleefully.

"Jones, how are you doing?"

"Great."

"Eat anything yet?" he asked, gesturing to the food on the table.

She shook her head as she jumped off the bed and closed the door. She started to pace around before picking up a brush.

"I have to tell you something…" she trailed off slowly.

"You don't like me or anything, right?" James asked awkwardly. "Because Fred sort of has an eye out for you and I would be a total git if you just fell for me. You're a very pretty person, but I sort of like someone else and—"

"You're so full of yourself," Ariana rolled her eyes. "I think Rachel will be good for you and knock you down a few pegs."

Ariana started to brush her hair and she looked extremely nervous. It looked like she was about to reveal something that has been weighing her down for a long time. She looked stressed as well, very stressed.

"And that is?"

"I uh…"

She fiddled around with the hem of her dress and pulled on the ends of her red curls.

"Spit it out, Jones," James sighed.

"Lysanderkissedme."

"What?"

"Lysander kissed me and I don't know what to do about it."

_Well_, James thought to himself, _who didn't see that one coming?_

**.**

Rachel played with her lose curls that hung out from her bun. She looked around the crowd and Scorpius was talking to various people and she lays her eyes on the wretched figure of Alex Carrington.

Turning on her heels, she walked around looking for something to do. Theodore had not taken the stage and announced the new prototype he had made.

She spotted Professor Clifton talking with William Weasley. Now was her chance to clear her title and being in front of the girl's father made it a lot more evil.

"Good evening, Professor Clifton, Mr. Weasley," she greeted them with a charming smile. "How nice of it to see you here."

"Ahh, Rachel!" Clifton smiled charmingly. "I was just getting to know Mr. Weasley right here."

William or as many know him better as Bill, laughed heartily before saying, "Please call me Bill, Grant."

"How's Dominique?" Rachel asked suddenly.

"Oh, she's been good. A bit on the moody side, but when is she not?" Bill laughed lightly.

"Right, I've been seeing her around with a guy. She tell you about that?"

To a normal person it would look like she was having a leisure conversation with an adult, something to pass time. Grant Clifton was smarter than that; he knew she was trying to get at something. Rachel would never start a random conversation with a girl's father she didn't like; there was always something in it for her.

"Rachel," Clifton interrupted.

"Yes?" she asked innocently. She had been feeling a little bet vengeful for the past few hours and needed to get it off her chest.

"Excuse us, Bill, but I must talk to Rachel for a moment."

"Of course," Bill says cautiously before leaving the two of them alone.

Rachel acted like an innocent ditz for thirty-seconds, twirling her dark hair and blinking confusedly at Clifton. It wasn't until he looked her over with darks eyes did he finally snap at her.

"What are you playing at?"

"Getting my reputation clean," she snapped back.

"W-what?"

"I'm not stupid. Westerveldt may have spread the rumor, but the real thing came from your girlfriend," Rachel sneered. "It's been six years, don't you know anything about me?"

Grant stifled a harsh laugh before rolling his eyes and telling his student, "If you're not so closed off from the world, then I would. Then everyone would know about that vulnerable little girl inside."

Rachel gave him a hard look and said, "If you think I'm vulnerable, then you must not know me at all."

It was a lie and always will be, but her monotonous tone clearly said she wasn't lying. Of course, no one could actually ever tell when she was or wasn't telling the truth or lying.

"Fine," Clifton leans back. "I would start giving you bad grades, but your papers make it impossible to do so."

With that, he walked off in the direction of the alcohol. Rachel wrinkled her nose before heading the other way.

Looking around, she saw Alex dancing with Liana who was smiling prettily. Her smile was never forced, except for when Daphne or Nathaniel was praising Rachel instead of her, which was almost never. She looked beautiful as she twirled and kissed him on the lips.

Rachel felt like she was stabbed in the heart because her sister was falling for the same charm she had when she was fifteen. Liana never was particularly kind to her, but it hurt that Alex was toying with her emotions just like her own.

Sighing, she watched Alex for a second. His chocolate brown eyes looked authentic with love, but she wasn't exactly sure if it was fake or real. Of course, her _'first love'_ just had to fall in love with her sister.

Shaking her head, she turned and started to head out of the ballroom as Theodore Nott started his announcement.

The moment she left the room, someone took her by the arm roughly and started to drag her away. Struggling against the persons grasp, she nearly lashed out at them, of course, held in her anger.

It wasn't until she found herself in Draco's studies did she finally realize it was time for the meeting.

"Rachel, Rachel, sit down," Lucius told her with a sneer.

"Of course, ever thought about getting an escort that wasn't so rough," Rachel answered, surveying her pale arms that were reddening.

"I'll think of that next time, though, there won't be a next time."

"Yes, because you'll be telling me everything, tonight."

"Not necessarily, _darling_," he smirked.

Rachel's eyes narrowed as she watched her grandfather carefully. His lawyer that she recognized slightly pulled out a few documents. They laid out a few sheets of paper that she snatched up immediately started to read. Her mind took in the information and it seemed like she had been watched all her life, pictures, reports and investigations on her life.

A particular picture caught her eye; she was holding her stomach and pacing around nervously. The memory came rushing back and she couldn't believe that she had almost forgot about it.

"How would you feel if your parents reputation were ruined because they had a wench for a daughter?"

"What do you mean?" she asked slowly.

"Don't play dumb darling, I had people track you. You, my dear, were pregnant at fourteen."

"Let me correct you," Rachel said coldly. "I was never pregnant and I was fifteen."

"Same difference, who would they believe me, the elder Malfoy who people respect or a sixteen year old girl that was rumored to have been sleeping with a teacher?"

Rachel clenched her teeth, as the papers were taken from her and the lawyer apparated away. Lucius got up and walked past his granddaughter with a satisfied smile.

"So, do we have a deal? You never bring this up again and have no one track this or your life is ruined, not only yours, but your entire family."

With that, Lucius left the study and Rachel closed her eyes to repress a shudder. A slight grin spread across her face as she looked out the window.

"You may have got me this time, Lucius Malfoy, but I will find out everything in this scandal," she grinned to herself.

_Besides_, she thought to herself, _I'm sixteen and he's who-knows-what-age and he was almost conned by me._

Of course, Lucius was just as true of a Slytherin as Rachel and both weren't going to rest until they one-upped each other so much that it got bored.

* * *

**A/N: Long Chapter :D Thanks for the reviews! I really do appreciate them :D**

**Should I keep doing those previews? Or do you really just want the chapter? If you just want the chapter, I ask you to review! Thanks. **

**Next chapter will have Meredith's revenge, make up between Scorpius and Rachel, more on Rachel being a Malfoy and... Rachel defies Lucius Malfoy! AHHH! Maybe. **


	21. We're Back, Bitches

**The Lion and the Snake**

**We're Back, Bitches**

_A kiss makes the heart young again and wipes out the years._

_-Rupert Brooke_

It started off very simple. Alex, Liana, Ariana and Rachel were the ones Meredith and Bella set out for. They only came back with one, Rachel. Alex protected Liana from the lions and Ariana was sent to the hospital, not completing her seventh year.

Rachel had no one by her side and she was in complete solitude when Meredith pounced. She had a sudden lust for blood.

"Hey look, it's the loner and the traitor," she said as she passed James and Rachel sitting in the same compartment.

Rachel gritted her teeth and flipped her book open.

"You do realize all that make up won't fix your stupidity, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, because it clearly didn't fix yours," Meredith retorted.

"I have a question," Rachel said seriously. "Was your birth certificate a letter from the condom factory?"

"Well, at least my parents had the decency to keep me instead of put me up for adoption," Meredith sneered.

Rachel's expression hardened. She barely spoke a word to neither the Malfoy nor Constantine's. Scorpius was purposely avoiding her and she refused to speak to anyone that was related to her.

Meredith's comment made Rachel hit rockbottom and she wanted to just punch her in the face. Controlling her anger, she looked at Meredith sweetly.

"Meredith, darling," Rachel drawled. "Can I please talk to you in the hall?"

"Sure, sweetie," Meredith matched her tone. "Oh and Potter? You could do so much better than this bitch."

After the door slid shut, Rachel started to walk. Meredith followed expectantly. It wasn't until they were far away from where James and Rachel were sitting that she snapped.

"You seem to know a lot about my past! Why don't you share?"

"Excuse me?"

"My freakin' past, Westerveldt! Tell me how you know Draco and Astoria gave me up and how they pulled this stunt for sixteen years!"

Meredith smirked at the Malfoy in front of her.

"No," she shook her head. "You'll have to find our yourself and from what I heard from my father, that's not going to be easy."

"Wait," Rachel stopped the blonde girl. "How does your father know anything about this?"

"And you're supposed to be smart?" Meredith rolled her eyes. "My father is your family or rather the Constantine's lawyer."

"So I can fire your father?" Rachel asked coyly.

"No, you can't, honey," Meredith smirked. "My father knows all the dirt on your family and he can destroy you all the same. Nathaniel and Daphne Constantine are smart, so they would never do that."

**.**

Rachel sighed and she glanced at her cousin who was avoiding her for a long time. James was off with his friends. Rose and Al were catching up, and Scorpius just didn't want to be around her. Rachel wanted to stay away as well, but she hated it when Scorpius was mad at her.

"Scorpius," she countered.

He looked up at her with blank eyes.

"I'm sorry for being so selfish, bitch that only cared for herself. I'm sorry that I never gave Rose a chance and that I kissed James. I'm sorry that you had to find out that way and that our parents lied to us. I'm sorry I ruined Christmas and the Malfoy family name. I'm sorry—"

"Cut it out with the sorries!" he said irritably. "It still doesn't make up for everything I went through, through break!"

"If you forgot, I went through the same thing!"

They both glared at each other for a minute, their tempers getting the better part of them. It then settled in, they both had a sad look in their eyes. They had both been lied to. They endured the same thing from the beginning. Neither had the harsher end because it was the same.

Even if Scorpius grew up in a more loving environment, he was still lied to and endured the same judgment she had.

They were two peas in a pod that couldn't escape the endless cycle of judgment, the constant comparing of children and Malfoy/Constantine high status name. Scorpius and Rachel were born into the aristocratic world and there was no means of escape, but death. Even there you were still whispered and taunted about, in the end, you were always where you first started.

Rachel sighed and picked herself up.

"I don't care if you tell me to shut up, but I really am sorry this time, and I mean it," she sighed. "I love you Scorp and I hate fighting with you."

.

She made her way down the corridor ignoring Meredith and her taunts. Ignoring the sick looks people sent her way as she looked for someone she needed to talk to.

Finally coming across the compartment with Rose and her cousins in it, she knocked on the door.

Dom had a look of disgust plastered on her face when she saw Rachel. Roxie was confused and Lily just shrugged it off. She was about to give up when the door slip open and Rose gestured her in.

"I need your help," she stated with an annoyed look. Rachel was admitting she needed help when all these years she didn't.

Rose was confused as she looked towards her cousins who just shrugged themselves, all of them confused.

"Can we talk in private?"

Once they were in an empty compartment that Rachel had shooed most of the seventh years out of, she looked out the window with a sigh. Admitting she needed help was hard enough, explaining why would be harder. She didn't like getting help, but Rose was smart and had more connections than she did. Her mother was a wizard lawyer maybe she knew something.

"My parents pulled a stunt about my birth," she sighed. "They already admitted that I'm not a Constantine, but a Malfoy. I need your help on how they pulled it off because unless my parents really wanted to give me up, then I don't know how my grandfather did it."

"What… slow down, you're a Malfoy?"

Rachel nodded.

"But they put you up for adoption and now you're in the Constantine family."

"Sort of, but no one said anything about adoption. They sort of just gave me to Daphne and Nathaniel," she sighed. "My grandfather made it look like I was a blood sibling to Liana and my other cousins/sister, whatever i should call them now."

"And why do you need me?"

"I think someone's watching us, but you're smart and your mother is a lawyer… Maybe you can get information from her?"

"Why don't you just ask?"

"Ah, I did, but this is a game Rose," she smiled grimly. "You have people protecting you and my blackmailer is of my own blood, you can get away easier and I can't because those protecting me can turn on me."

Rose nodded like she understood and she did. Rachel was complex, but she had her way of doing things that she could get away with if she was careful enough.

"One more thing," Rachel sighed. "Scorpius, he's mad at me… Can you help me talk some sense into him? I've tried all break and just today, but he's still giving me the cold shoulder."

Rose smiled gently and nodded.

"Rachel," she said. "Are we friends?"

"Acquaintances, more or less," she shrugged. "Not to fast with the friend thing, I still need someone to compete with."

"Oh, don't worry," Rose, retorted. "I'm not giving up against you so easily."

They shared a knowing grin before parting ways.

**.**

"So you're frustrated with Jones because she seems distant and Rivers because she keeps pestering you about your almost kiss on New Years Eve?" James asked Fred.

"Yeah," he nodded as he munched away on a chocolate frog. "Pretty much."

"Well, ever asked Jones why she's so distant?"

"My best guess," Fred says thoughtfully. "Is the fact she's engaged and she didn't know until I exploded at her for not telling me."

"You have a lot of tact," James rolled his eyes.

"Shut it, one slip and Rachel will walk out your door," he says. "She's guarded."

They shrugged and sighed in frustration. Was it just he or did they have a lot more girl trouble than necessary?

"Since the bet is off," Fred says with a small smile. "I could prank Ariana, but… she's checked into the hospital."

James gave him a weak grin that said she'd be all right. Knowing Ariana, she forgave and forgot, she powered through, and she was ready to have fun to the core. Being checked into the measly doctors office wouldn't hold her back from doing something out of the ordinary. That's what Alex had made fun of her for, being so weird, different and… fat.

Not that she was fat, that skinny stick.

"We better change," James finally said after looking at the time.

"Yeah," Fred agreed.

Things felt weird he and Rachel weren't official. Fred was worried about Ariana who was engaged and kissed by someone who wasn't her fiancé. This was supposed to be their seventh year! Not their too-much-girl-trouble-and-not-enough-pranks-pulled year!

**.**

She was paging through her history textbook when there was a sudden commotion. Everyone scampered out of the library doors and started heading somewhere. They all seemed jittery and gossipy so Rachel decided to follow.

Walking down the corridors, she found herself walking to the Charms classroom. _What's with all the commotion?_ She asked herself.

Pushing past the crowds of people who shot her dirty looks, she finally made it to the front.

Aurors were walking their Charms teacher, Professor Clifton, out of the school, or rather to the office. A bitter look was on his face as he passed her mouthing: _get what you want?_

She was too shocked though, he may have been sleeping with a student, but he was a really good teacher. He helped her passed Charms and she was hoping he would be there for her NEWTS. Even if she did sort of despise him for being part of the rumor, he still was an amazing teacher.

"Looks like you lost your boyfriend," people around her sneered.

"We should have all seen that ne coming," another person said.

"Yeah, at least someone cared enough about you that they actually said something," someone said snidely. "Like anyone would care for you though."

Rachel stood there frozen in spot, how did they even prove it? She wondered if Meredith had gotten pissed at Dom and told the truth… Meredith was a terrible person who played games just like Rachel did, would she actually have the nerve to expose a secret this big?

It took her a second to realize someone was shaking her shoulder. She snapped out of her trance to see James in front of her, staring at her worriedly.

"McGonagall wants to see you," he told her quietly.

She nodded numbly. James sent her a swift smile before heading on his way to his next class or wherever he was headed. Fred by his side, he also had a funny grin on his lips as they part ways. Rachel turned on her heel and decided to get to the Headmistresses office as quickly as she could.

**.**

"Come in."

Rachel opened the door to see Meredith fake crying and Dom standing by the fireplace with her arms cross.

"You needed me, Professor?" Rachel says with much authority.

McGonagall gestures for her to see down next to Meredith. Barely able to keep herself from wrinkling her nose distastefully, she sits down. The headmistress offers her a ginger newt, which she accepts even though she never liked those cookies.

"We have contacted all of your parents to arrive and talk about this matter, the fact that one of our very own teachers have been sexually harassing you three."

A hard look comes across Rachel's face and she looks at Meredith who is nodding while mopping up fake tears. Dom looks indifferent as she stares into the fire, awaiting the parents.

"I'll have you know," Rachel says bitterly. "I'm having a bit of trouble with my parents who aren't actually my parents."

McGongall gives her a sharp look.

"What are you trying to say, Miss Constantine?"

"I refuse to talk to Nathaniel and Daphne Constantine until I know the truth," she explained. "Screw that, I refuse to be in the same room!"

With that, she almost marched up and left when the two people who arrived in the room were indeed not Nathaniel and Daphne, but Draco and Astoria. Her eyes narrowed even further as they greeted McGonagall and sat down in the chairs that magically appeared out of thin air.

"Will you be in the same room as these two?" she asks.

"The truth," Rachel muttered. "I want to know the truth."

"Father said he told you the truth," Draco says. "He said that, didn't he Tori?"

"Lucius plays games and by his own rules," Astoria murmured back. "He probably didn't. That rat lied at the most if our daughter is demanding the truth."

"Rachel, this is for another time," Draco says calmly. "We'll discuss this over another break."

She crosses her arms and watch as Meredith's parents come next. They hug their so-called innocent daughter tightly; wiping the fake tears still streaming from Meredith's perfect face.

Last of all, Dom's parents arrive with an angry look.

"What is this I hear about my daughter," Bill Weasley roars, "being sexually harassed by a professor?!"

"I vill not allow dis to go on!" Fleur Weasley yelled.

"Calm down," McGonagall ordered. "We have a witness proving that he has hurt these three girls, but we want to know if Professor Clifton has ever touched you or did something you were uncomfortable with."

"Wait," Rachel demanded a second. She looked around the room and her eyes landed on Meredith. "I want to talk to Westveldt for a second."

After a few seconds of contemplation, McGongall ushers them into the hallway.

"Finally spilled the beans did you?" they sneered at each other. Stopping in each other's tracks, they looked at each other curiously.

"You didn't tell—" they both started,

"No, I thought it was you," Rachel shook her head. "If you didn't do it, then who did?"

"Dom?"

Rachel laughed mirthlessly, "He's her lover, she won't tell you daft bimbo."

Meredith flipped her hair, as she was about to march back in.

"Who did it then?" Rachel asked her. "Who turned him in with evidence he actually did something."

"I did," a dark voice said. Rachel looked up and gasped, torn between hugging the person and slapping them across the face.

* * *

**A/N: I am so sorry! I had a bit of trouble writing this chapter and well... this is sort of hot off the press so... I'll be coming back to this for revision! I just wanted to update for you guys!**

**Thanks for the reviews! Can you get me to the golden number of 50? **

**Last of all, if you like Albus S Potter/OC stories or mystery, I suggest you check out my story: Gray Wolf. The next chapter is with my beta who's been a bit MIA so yeah!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize because it belongs to JK Rowling. Rachel and the plot belongs to me though...**


	22. Contention

**Warning: There's one sear word that might provoke some people, but Rachel's a bit emotional right now. If it bothers you, you can skip over it, but it's only one part. Sorry for that :/**

**The Lion and the Snake**

**Contention**

**_The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost._**

**_-Gilbert K. Chesterton_**

"What. Is. Wrong. With. You?" she snapped angrily.

His eyes flashed dangerously, but she wasn't scared. Not anymore, no, because she was played with fire much more dangerous than him. Gritting her teeth and clenching her fist she waited for him to say something, but the door opened and he ducked behind the statues.

"Carrington, I swear if you don't answer me right now I will f―"

The next few words that came out of Rachel's mouth weren't the most ladylike and if she was watching herself, she would scold herself. Meredith cringed at her language and even Alex seemed surprised. He almost smirked and retorted something mean, but by the way she was still angrily cursing at him, he decided against it.

Before he could say something though, Dom interrupted them.

"We must get on with business," Dom snapped angrily.

Spinning on her heel, she walked back in.

A sour look plastered Rachel's face for a second as she watched Dom wok away in disdain. Quickly shaking her head, she flipped her hair over her shoulder and stormed back into the room. Meredith following closely behind as the door closed behind her, she was just as confused as Rachel, more or less.

"As you all know, Professor Grant Clifton was arrested for sexual harassment against students," McGonagall continued. "Three notable students that our sources say is you three girls and we would like to hear your side of the story."

Rachel crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. She had a hard expression that made Astoria and Draco sigh inwardly.

Dom glared at the ground, angry at the world and everyone in this room.

Meredith returned to her weepy state she had cleaned up when talking to Rachel.

"It's okay," Mrs. Westerveldt patted her daughter's blonde hair. "He's gone and this is a safe space, please say something."

Meredith's eyes flashed with something that Rachel didn't recognize. She wiped her own tears and sat up straighter looking into McGonagall's eyes.

"I have something to confess."

"Yes?"

"Rachel shouldn't be here," Meredith shook her head. "There was a rumor she slept with a teacher or whatever shit they made up after that one. I made it up to protect a friend."

All eyes were on Rachel. She forced herself to stare blankly ahead of her, right at a painting of Headmaster Dumbledore who gave her a sympathetic look.

"What do you have to say about this?"

"I certainly never slept with a teacher," she drawled. "He never did anything to me."

Something flashed angrily through Dom's eyes. She burst from her spot and stormed to where Rachel stood and pointed and accusatory finger at her sassily.

"Cut the shit, Constantine," she snapped. "Alex said he saw him do something to you!"

"Why does he care?"

"This may be hard to believe, but he cared for you briefly during his fifth year, your fourth year!"

"Truly hard, Dominique," Rachel scoffed. "News flash, he used me then moved."

"Sure, the bet was in action and he used you, but he fell in love briefly!"

Bet… Bet… Bet? Rachel stared blankly at Dom. Turning on her heel she left the office. Protest coming from everyone in the room as she whipped out her wand and opened the door. Alex sat out there with Al and Liana.

Pointing her wand at Alex's neck she scowled at him angrily.

"Rachel!" Liana screeched. "What are you doing?!"

Alex held his hands up in surrender, backing away from her wand. Al put a hand on her shoulder, but she shook it off. Her glare was full of nothing, but venom as she calmed herself down.

"Bet," she said. "What bet is Dominique talking about?"

"You are so damn twisted!" Liana yelled at her.

"I wonder how I got that way," Rachel shot back. "No one's leaving until I _fucking_ find out everything that's been going on in my lie of a life!"

Everyone was silent. Rachel's strong language made everyone freeze and for once, emotions and feelings were plastered cross her face. She was angry, confused, upset and utterly fed up with all the lies that she had been told.

No more, she thought, I cannot take this anymore!

"Wash your mouth," Liana scoffed after a few minutes. "Leave my _boyfriend_ alone!"

The blonde put her hand on Alex's arm, and Rachel pointed her wand threateningly at both of them. They both knew with even one flick of her dainty little fingers, that they could both be dead. Of course, Rachel wouldn't kill, that would mean Azkaban or even a death penalty itself!

"Why can't you give me answers?" Rachel asked, getting quite overwhelmed by the silence.

Her wand lowered and she turned to look at everyone. Green, forlorn, hurt and pained, celery green eyes stared at everyone in the room, the silence becoming guilty and confused. Even the parents who didn't know what was going on were sympathetic towards Rachel who looked like she was about to lose her mind, or even worse, cry.

Crying, something she hadn't done in while. Tearing up and just a few hot tears slip down her face, but she hadn't let sobs rack her body. Take control of her mind and turn her into a screaming, crying monster girls became when they were upset.

She was monotonous, aloof, and cold. Blocking everything and anybody who tried to come into her little world, but she stopped. Rachel felt herself breaking, right down the middle her heart was shattered. She had never noticed it before, but the first scratch was from a long time ago.

Right there and then, she shattered completely.

Shooting a spell at both Alex and Liana, she stepped back to see the damage she had done.

Liana's screams were louder than she had ever heard it before sounded through the office.

Before anyone could make a move to grab Rachel or help the two seventh years, Rachel shot a spell that shined a golden color to the ceiling, drawing everyone's eyes away. It was a trick she had learned from reading. The gold color always served as a distraction as it drew the eyes away.

Throwing her wand somewhere, she ran.

Everyone called for her, but she refused to come back.

Some would call her a coward, but Rachel had stuck it out for sixteen years and she was done. No one was giving her answers and those sixteen years would be a block in her life she would never know about because she was finally going to run.

No one would keep her here. There was no one to stop her from running away from the past and to the future. No rules to restrain her from the free air that was waiting for her. She was done.

**.**

"She just ran," Al said to Scorpius in a low voice. "Just like that, she threw her wand across the room and ran like there was no tomorrow."

Scorpius stared in awe at the fire in front of him. His cousin/sister had finally cracked and she had run away. Leaving her wand and no idea where she would run.

All those years of closing herself off to everyone in the world led up to this. For her to run away and not leave a trace or any idea of where she went. Not even Scorpius― who spent almost every waking minute with her when they were younger― knew where she was.

Draco and Astoria were calm considering the fact their daughter was missing.

Alex and Liana were in the hospital wing, recovering from the spell Rachel had fired at them.

Dominique and Meredith figured out the Professor Clifton thing. Though no one had heard much of what had happened to both girls and rumors were flying around.

"Gonna say something, mate? We sort of need a lead on where Rachel is," Al sighed.

"Well, she loved the park," Scorpius said slowly. "The one past the town from our house and down the road after the bookstore."

It was true, Rachel had spent a lot of time reading under the willow tree at the abandoned park. She even made a friend there, but he wasn't there when her 'friend' was there. Scorpius even started to wonder if that friend was real or if he/she was made up.

"Should we tell―"

"No, I think she needs time on her own. To figure out this mess she got into…"

Al gave Scorpius a meaningful look before excusing himself to bed. Leaving Scorpius to ponder Rachel's mindset, what she was thinking and feeling before she took off.

Liana was absolutely clueless about Rachel, it was sad considering they lived in the same house and were supposedly sisters for sixteen years. She barely knew Rachel to begin with and had no idea where her 'sister' would run off too.

The only other people in her life were Nathaniel, Daphne, Draco and Astoria who missed every part of Rachel's life. They knew absolutely nothing about her. Scorpius thought that was particularly sad. Even his parents took the time to get to know him!

Now there she was, all alone in the big world. No wand by her side let alone a friend. He pondered one last thing before going to bed:

_ Will she ever come back?_

**.**

"Well, your girlfriend is crazy," Alex, commented to James.

"Hm?" he asked for clarification. A confused look plastered his face as he watched his friend. Fred, who usually knew what was going on, also was confused.

They stared at Alex who had one of his eyes patched up, due to the spell that had hit him. The nurse could not identify what she had hit him with and they were all pretty worried about it.

"She literally ran out of the meeting without a wand, and she's absolutely mad," he shook his head.

"What happened?" Fred asked as he started to munch on some chocolate frogs that were in the vicinity.

"Hey! Don't touch those, you dolt," Alex swatted at him.

Fred jumped off the bed with ease, smirking as he finished off the chocolate.

"No, but seriously though, what happened?" James asked. "In the meeting? I don't really know, but apparently Domie let her know about the bet we made in fifth year," he shrugged.

Fred and James's mouth dropped open. They had forgotten about the bet the three had made back when they were fifteen. With everything going on in the last few years that was the last thing on their mind. It almost seemed unimportant, but why did Rachel want to know about it?

"She seemed rather keen on finding out about it. Not like it matters now, she's long gone."

"Isn't the school or the ministry of something going to try and find her?" James demanded.

Alex shrugged as he opened a box of Bertie Botts and ate it by the handful.

"No one really knows where she is, or has any leads on where she would go," Alex explained. "It's sort of a lost case, the only way we can get her back is if she comes back on her own―"

"Which we all know isn't happening," Fred finished.

The two dark haired boys stared at him in confusion. Fred rolled his eyes and tried to give them the it's-so-obvious look.

"If I learned anything from Ariana, it's the fact girls like Rachel are determined and ambitious," he said. "If she made up her mind to run and hide, then she'll stay hidden."

"Wow, look who turned into a sensitive young lady!" Alex joked.

Fred punched his friends in the arm, before heaving a sigh.

"She's been avoiding me though," he said distantly.

"What do you expect, she's a girl," Alex sighed.

They all shared a distressed look, thinking one thing:

_Girls, the most confusing species on this planet._

**.**

Rose received a letter late that night. It was in the infamous curly, girl handwriting of one person and one person only. The letter was short and no name was sighed, but she knew whom it was from.

_I want you to forget everything I asked you to do._

* * *

**A/N: Wow, pretty emotional chapter... Sorry about the swearing again! **

**Can I get 54 reviews? Please? You'll get this: **

**** Something fell off of her nightstand that James picked up, something catching his eyes. A string of curses went through his head as he stared at the piece of parchment in his hand.

**** A knock on the door surprised her as she set down the knife and went to pick it up. Her eyes widened at who was at the door.

**** "Come home-"

She held the knife to her neck, her eyes closed, willing herself to make the decision.

**** Mistakes happened and this was one big mistake. James kept thinking though, was it all so bad that she would hurt herself? Was it actually a mistake or did she do it on purpose?


	23. Muggle World

**The Lion and the Snake**

**Muggle World**

**_Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides. _**

**_-Lao Tzu _**

"I never thought I'd live to see the day," a voice said.

Rachel's eyes shot up to see a vaguely familiar person standing before her.

The same chestnut brown hair framed his face like when they were younger, blue eyes that smiled warmly, the smile that spread across his face, ad those dimples, oh those dimples. She remembered all too well even if it had been years ago. Almost six years have past since she had stopped coming to the park and to the willow tree where she had first met him.

Even if he were a muggle, he would always have been her first crush.

"Rachel?" he asked.

"Elliot," she matched his tone weakly.

"Are you okay?"

"What do you think?" she asked. "I was lied to all my life, my entire life is a freakin' lie! I don't even know who I am anymore!"

She felt him settle down to her left like he used to do every single day. He rummaged through his bag and pulled out a book. Handing it to her, he smiled like old time.

Taking the book in her hand, she noticed it was a muggle book.

"I know this is sort of random, but for old times sake," he said with a smile. "And, if you're not doing anything, I suggest we get off the snow because I can feel it melting―"

She gave a small laugh before getting up, realizing she had nowhere to go. Rachel would rather kill herself than go home.

Elliot seemed to have read her mind, or rather her lost expression.

'You can always come to my flat," he suggested. "You know, until you figure things out."

She smiled weakly, but gratefully and followed him to the parking lot.

Rachel had read about cars, but never in her life had she actually driven one. Instead of getting in like Elliot had, she stared at it like it was an alien.

"Coming?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah," she said. "How do you open―"

He chuckled and opened the door for her.

"How does this― ahh!" she yelled as the car started to drive away.

"Calm down, Rach," he smiled. "It's like you've never been in a car."

_Exactly,_ she thought to herself, _I never have. _

**.**

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" James and Fred yelled, jumping onto Rose's bed.

She shrieked as Al and Hugo came in, throwing balloons and streamers, decorating the room. Dom, Roxie, and Lily brought in the presents with a cake following.

Rose sat up and smacked James and Fred on their heads. Brushing her hair with her fingers, she looked at all her cousins with a smile, grateful that it was a Saturday.

"Merlin, you guys didn't need to do this!"

"Oh yes we did!" Fred smiled.

"You're seventeen now!" Al yelled. "Of course we did!"

Rose laughed as Lucy jumped on her bed, with her twelve year old cuteness.

"Yeah, Rosie!" Lucy said. "We had to do it! So get out of bed!"

"What time is it?"

"Eight in the morning…" Dom said cautiously. Everyone knew how Rose usually had a temper when she was woken up too early.

"No, I'm going to bed," Rose shook her head. "Come back when it's ten."

"ROSIE!" they all yelled.

James and Fred shared a look.

_Time for our secret weapon._

"TICKLE TORTURE!" the two seventh years yelled.

Rose shrieked and laughed as they started to tickle her.

"Fred! James! James― Stop!"

"Then wake up!"

"No― Stop!" Rose giggled as she fought off her cousin. Trying to hide beneath the covers and away from her everyone in the room, trying to drag her out.

Something fell off of her nightstand that James picked up, something catching his eyes. A string of curses went through his head as he stared at the piece of parchment in his hand.

Rose stopped for a moment before grabbing the parchment from James' hand.

"That's nothing," she said hastily, stuffing it in the drawer.

"No, that's Rachel's handwriting," he said. "Are you― is she―"

"You know what? I'll go get ready, I'll be back," she said in a hurry. Grabbing a towel and the rest of her belongings, she locked the door behind her.

Everyone in the room shared a peculiar look before Al cleared his throat. He walked over to Rose's drawer and pulled out multiple sheets of parchment with curly writing on them. Each and every single one of them had a random sentence.

"This is Rachel's handwriting," Al confirmed. "Curls and all."

"We have forty minutes," Roxie said as she looked through the parchments.

Al and James shared a look.

"I'm not on best terms with that chick," Roxie rolled her eyes. "But she's missing, you guys are her friends and I really want to see if I'm as good of a detective as I want to be."

She sifted through the papers and laid them out one after another. There were ten in all, Roxie looked at them critically, reading each sentence through.

"This is totally random," Lily commented. "It's talking about books one second and Scorpius another."

"I agree, but Rachel wouldn't just write these for no absolute reason," Al said. "There has to be reason."

They didn't know how long they all stood standing there when Rose came out and sighed.

"Keep them in order," she said.

"Why?"

"Because it's a code, she concealed where she went within the letters that she sent," Rose said. "She staggered when she sent them, one every other day."

It's been almost three weeks since Rachel was missing. No one had heard anything, but Rose and she had kept quiet. Why?

Then there was a knocking at the window and a tawny owl flew in.

"Snowdrop," Al said affectionately, petting her head. A piece of parchment was tied to her left foot and Rose raced to take it off.

Reading it, she looked down at all of the pieces of parchments, deciphering each and every one of them.

"Where's Scorp?" Rose exclaimed. "I think I know where Rachel is."

"Oh my god," Roxie said. "Why didn't I see this before? This is pretty simple!"

"Simple? She has no faith in us," Fred says sarcastically, putting a hand to his heart.

"Probably," Al shrugged. "There's a reason she sent it to Rosie, I mean, they can barely stand each other, yet she's sending random notes to her."

Rose rolled her eyes before leaving the room, having the message play over and over in her mind. If this was correct, then they would know where Rachel had went. Like the message said, Scorpius will understand.

.

Rachel was reading the book he had given her. It was a love story, one that involved something more than just blatant loves story, but learning something more. She learned that helping and accepting someone through something humiliating was far more romantic than a picnic on a beach.

She hadn't even finished the book yet, but she mentally declared it her favorite book of all time. Even though the situations were different, Rachel felt that it sent a powerful message to anyone reading it. That there was love and loss, both were powerful and hurt more than anything in the world.

Yes, she had practically fallen in love with a book, a muggle book.

"So, I know we haven't talked or seen each other in like six years," Elliot came out of the bathroom, drying his hair. "But you've been here for three weeks, what happened?"

Closing the book, she set it on the counter and thought for a second.

"I can't stand anyone back at home," she said quietly. "I'm sorry for staying here so long, but I'll go once I get a job." _And my wand back, I'm so stupid for just throwing it out there._

Elliot threw the towel over to a chair and sat next to Rachel.

"Well, you're sixteen, meaning you're still underage," he commented. "You can't live on your own."

"Damn," she muttered to herself. "I didn't think about that."

"And, Rach, I love you and all, but you can't live off of me until you're eighteen."

True, Rachel thought, he would be going off to University after the year ended and I know Elliot, he would go to the States.

The days have been rather lonely, but he had an abundance of muggle books she had never read and she had spent the days reading those. He would be off at school while she wasted the day reading that could have been used to study for exams.

_If ever go back_, she thought.

"Eighteen?" she asked confusedly. "I thought I was an adult when I was seventeen."

He chuckled, messing up her hair affectionately.

"You seem to be living off in another world, no, it's eighteen."

Her mouth was wide in awe.

"Well, we cooked for the last few weeks," he said. "I'm sort of sick of it, so we're eating out."

"I don't have anything to wear," Rachel muttered. Staring down at Elliot's oversized shirt she was wearing because she rarely left the house.

He laughed before throwing her an old jacket.

"It doesn't really matter," he told her. "It's not like anyone would really stare, besides, my friend works there and she might actually have some clothes that will fit you."

So they walked down the street to a small rundown restaurant. The lights on the sign were burned out so she had no idea what the place was called, but the inside said a different thing.

It was nice and cozy, not so rundown and trashy. The lights were dim and people were joyous and gleeful about everything even though it was chilly outside.

"Elliot!" a happy voice said. "Haven't seen you in a while!"

"Hey, Val," he smiled, sitting down at one of the tables. "This is my friend, Rachel."

"Girlfriend?" the girl winked.

Elliot rolled his eyes and Rachel looked down, thinking of James. She didn't know where she stood with him, but she had run off before she could finish it.

"No, she's like my little sister I haven't seen in six years," he said. "I was wondering if you'd have any clothes her size?"

Val looked Rachel up and down.

"She's a tiny little thing," Val commented. "I think I might have something, be back in a sec."

Rachel looked through the menu while Elliot socialized with multiple people there. Nothing on the menu seemed familiar to her; then again, all of her meals were always prepared for her the moment she came into the dining room. She never really got to pick and this seemed way to out of hand for her.

"So, what would you like, Rach?"

"I don't know."

.

_I am back at the willow tree, Scorpius will understand..._

"Willow, willow, willow," Scorpius thought for a second. "The tree in a park that was pretty far from our house, but she liked going there whenever we were younger."

"So you think she's just sitting there?" Al asked.

"Well, no," he shrugged. "She would need something to eat, it's been three weeks."

"Maybe she's staying at a friend's," Rose suggested. "In the area and such."

"She doesn't have very many friends outside of school," Scorpius said thoughtfully. "But, there was one… Uh, I forgot his name, she use to sneak books out of the house for him."

Scorpius scratched the back of his head, trying to remember the brown haired boys name. Rachel told him when they were eight that he vaguely looked like a puppy, plain adorable. That was a girl's perspective; of course, Scorpius thought he was too… plain.

He couldn't remember the name, but he remembered how Rachel looked at him. With the same adoring smile and eyes that glowed with like, since five year olds didn't have the hormones to feel love.

"Uh… Green, Elliot Green!"

"Huh?" Al asked.

"That's her friend's name! Elliot! He's two years older than us, she might be staying with him!"

.

Rachel was cooking that night, not like she really knew what she was doing. Elliot had old her to chop up some carrots and she decided to do so. He would be doing the actual cooking; she was just there to do preparations.

Her mind drifted while she was chopping the carrots up though. Everything was a mess and she had no idea what she was going to do about her life. It was already February and she had made no progress as to what to do.

If she stayed here any longer, she would be calling herself a lost case.

A knock on the door surprised her, setting down the knife she went to open it up.

Her eyes widened when she saw who was at the door.

"What are you doing here?! How did you find me?"

"Well, I would have been here earlier," James shrugged. "But Rose said you'd be by a willow tree and we spent a good hour trying to find you there."

"Doesn't explain how you found this place!"

"Well, then Scorpius figured out what your friend's name was and we asked around trying to figure out where he lived. Looks like he's a people person because we found this place pretty quickly," James commented. "After, we knocked on every door trying to find you."

Rachel looked around; Elliot was still in the shower so there was not much to do.

"Is anyone else with you?"

"No, Scorp and Rose are getting something to eat, Al's… somewhere, on another floor?"

Pulling James in by the arm, she shut the door behind him and walked back to the kitchen to finish the carrots. She had only planned for Rose to know so if she died, someone would have known where she was. Or at least where she was supposed to be, running into Elliot was not part of the plan, it just happened. She still decided to send it though.

Maybe she should have expected Rose to say something, but maybe not. Either way, she was found, it didn't mean she was going back.

Picking the knife up the knife, she started to chop the carrots angrily. Carefully making sure she didn't chop her fingers off while doing so.

"Rachel, you should come home. Everyone's been worried."

She kept her mouth closed as she pushed the carrots aside and started to chop the onions.

"Come home―"

She held the knife to her neck, eyes closed, willing her to make a decision. The last thing she wanted to do was go back to that hellhole. Her fingers burned from holding onto the knife too tightly.

"Damn!" Elliot's voice rung out through the apartment, "Rachel, put down the knife."

Rachel shifted so she could see Elliot, she felt her feet slip on the smooth floor. The knife slipped from her hand and she felt her head hit the counter as she hit the ground. Everything was spinning too fast and the last thing she remembered was blood soaking her fingertips.

.

_Mistakes happened and this was one big mistake_, James kept thinking though, _was it all so bad that she would hurt herself? Was it actually a mistake or did she do it on purpose?_

He ran his hand through his hair in distress. Elliot had told Scorpius, him and the others that they should go home or back to their boarding school. Draco and Astoria came down to thank Elliot and escort the children home. (James was rather offended since he was technically an adult)

Scorpius got a scolding from his parents as they got home and were going to floo home.

"I know you're worried about your cousin―"

"Sister," Scorpius corrected.

"Right, but it doesn't mean you can leave school to go look for her. She'll come back on her own time."

Al coughed something that sounded suspiciously like 'never' into his elbow, earning a pointed look from Rose. She gave her charming smile and talked her way out of the problem. James tuned out though; he didn't want to leave Rachel who had nearly stabbed herself in the heart. Luckily, the knife was just a few inches down and pierced near one of her ribs.

The sight had made James paralyzed with fear, blood soaked the floor and Elliot had rushed to call the emergency center.

"Would she hurt herself?" he pondered aloud, making everyone turn to him.

Draco, who was a bit cold towards a lot of people, shared a look with his wife. They both looked mortified with his thoughts.

"I mean, she hated that you guys lied to her. People used her. They walked on her like she was nothing. Everyone constantly judged her and pressured her into different things, do you think she finally had enough?"

Draco and Astoria looked uncomfortable as James grabbed some floo powder and stood in the fireplace.

"I don't think she would actually do it," Astoria finally commented. "Not the Rachel I knew."

"You don't know her though," James said thoughtfully. "You did miss sixteen years of her life. Hogwarts, Headmistress Office."

Astoria's pale green eyes drilled into James as he disappeared. Making him think about Rachel's green eyes that weren't as tired as Astoria's, but driven with a new sort of determination.

* * *

**A/N: Okay... Uh... Hey. This story is coming to an end(one last capter and the epilogue!) and I'll be putting up the Ariana/Fred story once I find time and actually write it... -_-**

**Thanks for the reviews! Before I post the next chapter, can I please get 58 reviews? Please?**

**Next Chapter: Guess through reviews ;)**


	24. Goodbye

**The Lion and the Snake**

**Goodbye**

**_Do not take life too seriously. You will never make it out alive. _**

**_-Elbert Hubbard_**

_What happened? Where am I? Was that all a dream? What a stupid dream._

A trail of thoughts went through her mind as she rubbed her eyes tiredly. Looking around the room she was immediately alarmed because she was somewhere she had no idea where.

The sun was dim, shining through the wide window by her bedside. Rachel could feel the rough bandages against her abdomen. Every movement shot pain through Rachel's body and she decided to try to breath less and move little.

There was a knock on the door and someone came in the door.

"Oh, Miss Rachel, you're awake."

"Yeah," she said for a lack of better words.

"We would like to know what happened, Mr. Green just knows you were holding the knife before―"

"I slipped," Rachel finished curtly. "I was cutting carrots for dinner when I slipped on the floor, hit my head and felt the knife hit me."

"This was a mistake―"

"Do you think I would hurt myself?"

"Many girls have attempted suicide," the nurse explained. "Boys as well, and we just want to make sure."

Rachel bit her lip. She wasn't attempting, she just wanted James to leave. Even though he knew her the best, she still didn't want to see people from the past. It disturbed her and made her heart ache for answers that were never going to be given to her.

The nurse did numerous things that Rachel barely noticed as she thought about if she would actually hurt herself. She did slip that time, but in the future, would she actually do something to hurt herself?

"Would you like anything for dinner?"

"Uh, anything that I won't make me throw up," Rachel shrugged. "My stomach isn't feeling that well."

"Yeah, you have been drifting in and out of what seems to be a very uncomfortable sleep," the nurse chuckled. "I guess that's what you get when you sleep for five― six days."

Rachel nodded stiffly, before lying back down on her back gently. The pain was starting to subside, but she had a feeling the rest of the pain was coming from her mind.

**.**

"Hey Rach," Elliot smiled as he came in with a thermos in his hand. "I brought soup!"

"I'm sorry!" Rachel blurted the moment the door closed.

"Why?"

"For getting blood on your knife, floor and possibly food," she muttered.

A small laugh escaped his lips and he opened the thermos and handed it to her with a spoon.

"Eat, and no worries," he said. "Surprisingly, when I got back, it was all clean. I think your friend cleaned it for me."

She raised her eyebrows as Elliot pulled out a few books and a folder.

"Things to pass time with, they sort of need to get your parents permission before letting you out and… nobody's been able to contact them."

"Oh…"

Putting the folder in her possession, he smiled brightly at her.

"Open it."

She did as she was told; a number of brochures, pictures and postcards fell out. It was of all different places of the world, from waterfalls to grassy fields, monuments, ruins and recovered villages to places Rachel never thought existed. There were mountains and lakes and rivers, places where the sky seemed to go on forever and others where the city lights burned bright. It seemed like a dream, but it was real, all real and if she really wanted too, she could go there.

At the bottom of the folder, underneath everything else were two plane tickets to New York, New York.

"I'm going at the end of February," he says. "I'm going to study film."

"I don't understand… why you have so many different brochures if you're only going to New York!"

"Is that all you can say?" he asked with a laugh.

"Well, it's sort of a mess if you're only going to one place, and it just crowds everything."

Shaking his head, he takes one of the tickets and hand it to her.

"I've already asked Val to come with me, but she wants to stay here and run her little shop with her parents and maybe open her own boutique," he shakes his head. "You're only sixteen, so I really can't ask you to just abandon school and come with me."

_ I'll technically be seventeen in a few months,_ Rachel thought.

"You're in a situation where you just want to escape and runaway," Elliot went on. "Live a new life and be a new person, where better to do that than New York?"

"Vegas," she offered with a shrug. "I think New York would be better."

Laughing, he rolls his blue eyes that she had come to admire very ouch. They were blue like the sky, not cloudy meaning no chance of rain and rain was the last thing she needed in her life.

Elliot was offering her an escape into a new world where she didn't have to be Rachel Constantine. She had to be Rachel and that was all that mattered.

"I'll be―"

"Living off of me? We can both get jobs and go to school it'll all work! My parents really want me to go to this film school and they thought I was going go with Val, but she wants to stay here," he smiled. "Besides my other friends want to go different ways, you want an escape."

"I can't just leave."

It was true; she couldn't just leave everything here. Her home, her parents, her cousin, her life, but it was a lie, everything in her little life was a lie. Living in New York could give her a chance to actually have a life that wasn't a lie!

Meaning she would be leaving everything that was real behind though. Her friends, her brother, James… It was all too confusing. She couldn't leave, no.

"Keep the ticket, if you change your mind, well, call me or something," he shrugged. "Now, eat your soup, I'm going to go since it's a bit late."

Kissing the temple of her head lightly, he waved her goodbye before leaving.

Rachel didn't tense; she didn't recoil from the gesture, for some reason she felt warm inside. A sweet feeling fell over her, quickly followed by a dreaded one, making her shiver as the door closed behind him.

_ My life sucks_, she thought scornfully before tucking herself in and falling asleep.

**.**

The door opened and Rachel's eyes shut immediately, hoping to ward off whoever was there.

"Hm, I swear she was awake just a minute ago," the nurses' voice sounded through the room. "Well, you're welcome to wait for her to wake, visiting hours don't end for another three hours."

"Thank you," Astoria's kind voice said.

"You're welcome."

The door shut and Rachel stirred a little, hoping to make her sleep look authentic. She felt someone brush her dark hair out of her face, his or her fingers cold to the touch of her cheek. Pain shot through her as she tried to curl up a little like a mouse.

"Looks like Elliot treats her well," Astoria commented. "He's a nice boy."

"With all the trouble she's gotten into herself this year," Draco said cooly. "She's not dating him, I won't allow it."

"Technically, she isn't your daughter until we sign the papers. You can't really stop her from doing anything."

"Well, how about stopping her from going to New York?"

She could hear the ticket slide off the counter as Draco waved it through the air and in front of his wife's face. Rachel felt anger boil in her, it was her ticket, not theirs and her choice, again, not theirs.

"She's going to be an adult in two― three months, she has the right―"

"Meaning she'll drop out of Hogwarts and―"

"Rachel's smarter than most people, she won't need test scores to prove it to the Mini―"

"How about living in the mu―"

"She'll have Elliot―"

"What does that boy have to―"

"He's the one who gave her the ticket!"

There was a silence between the two parents as Rachel finally decided to wake up. Her eyes opened, staring at the two adults glaring at each other venomously. They loved each other, yes. They grew up constantly teasing each other until they fell in love, during and after the Second Wizarding War.

It seemed like the perfect love story to Rachel. Something she would never have, something she would always want and crave: perfection.

Clearing her throat to get their attentions, Astoria and Draco's eyes shot to their daughter.

"Rachel―"

"Let me talk," she motioned them to stop. Snatching the ticket from Draco's hand, a stinging pain went through where the knife had hit her. Ignoring the pain, she looked at her parents, "I would love to go to New York to escape everything. The problem is, I can't leave this world behind without finishing what I started."

They blinked in confusion.

"Before I go, I want to know why you never just got me back. I was there all along, with your sister, yet you never made a move to take me back. No, you left me in that hell to suffer when you could have just signed some papers and take me back," she snapped. "Second, was Lucius Malfoy watching me? If he was, he is a creep because I think he knows more about me than I do. Not only that, but he can blackmail me, please figure this out, because that's creepy. Thirdly, I've got something to finish with James because he chased me all year and I either end and go to New York with Elliot or I stay here and love James."

Rachel took in a deep sigh, already knowing which one she was going to pick. It had taken a few hours to decide after she weighed everything out, pros and cons of both situations.

Her parents nodded her to go one.

Taking a deep breath, she said her last request, "Scorpius, I need to make up with him for being a selfish bitch that only cared for herself when he was practically going through the same thing."

"Rachel, dear, what are you going to choose?" Astoria asked.

Sitting up a little, she looked from gray eyes to green eyes with a certainty she wished she could convey into her voice.

"New York," she said. "I'm going to go to New York with Elliot."

**.**

It wasn't that she didn't love James, Rachel did. She really did. It was just the fact that they had a very high chance of breaking up, James was graduating and no matter how much she hated to admit it, he was going in a different direction. There was always a tug at the back of her mind that it would never work out, they were much too different.

He cared for her and took care of her, understood her and listened when no one else would. It was one of his more redeeming qualities that she would not forget to mention when she tells him goodbye.

During the break, their relationship seemed like an amazing idea.

Then her breakdown came and she escaped to a world that only knew her as Rachel. Not Rachel Constantine, Hogwart's Slut or the fourth daughter of the Constantine's.

Her old friend came back into her life and even thought it was a measly month, she felt that no one knew her better. He didn't know her past and he didn't ask to mow or judge her on that secrecy. Elliot judged her on what she was the day they had met again.

To him, she was the girl who loved to read and brought him books that seemed surreal to him, but real to her. She was the girl who could barely cook, but had a determination that passed every other quality by a long shot. Her writing was lovely and she had the potential to become a writer if she wanted too. He always pointed out the small things about her, even if it was a flaw.

If she stuck with him through the years, she would have resented his freedom. Right now, she felt that he embraced her flaws like they trumped everything that was perfect about her, and they did.

There was a knock on her door and Rachel barely made a sound as it opened and James came in.

"Hey, your parents said you wanted to see me?"

"Yeah," she said calmly. "You could sit if you like."

He sat down before giving her a weak smile, "Fred's here with me, he's visiting Jones who's room isn't far from here."

Rachel didn't make a sound as she slipped the ticket out of the bedside table, showing it to him. Holding her breath, she waited for his reaction. He leaned back and sighed, as if expecting it.

"Just say it," he sighed.

"I'm going to New York."

"Your entire family or just you?"

"I'm going with Elliot."

"Why?" he finally snapped.

"Because in ten years we're not going to matter to each other and I don't belong in this damn world anymore," she answered. "Elliot and I are friends, meaning if we get into a fight, it's not like the end of the world and we can't break up if it's just friends!"

James glared at the ground, he barely knew what he was going to do outside of school and the one thing he thought was in his reach, was going to leave.

"In a few months, I'm going to be nothing, but a fragment of your memory," she took his hand into hers, trying to get him to look at her. "Make me a promise, live these last months to the fullest because I was a downer in your life at the beginning."

"I really liked you―"

"I love you too, James," she sighed. "But it's a silly, young love and we're going to wonder why we ever tortured ourselves to do this. It's not going to end well. Elliot doesn't know me or what happened in my life. The past matters and I don't want someone who knows me well enough to use it against me. He can't judge me from the past and I can't judge him."

"So you're just leaving?"

"Sort of, I'll say goodbye to Scorpius and Al after I am packed," she shrugged. "It's not like Nathaniel and Daphne care about me, Astoria and Draco are letting me go, I'm gone after this."

He stared at her; she was a brilliant, sixteen-year-old witch who was going to drop out to leave a life she never wanted. It was like an adventure story; except for the fact she was not taking her Prince with her. She was going to leave everything behind.

"Even your wand?"

Her eyebrows rose, would she leave her wand behind? Start a new life without magic?

"Yes," she said hesitantly.

"So, you'll be living in the muggle world?"

Nodding, she kissed his cheek softly the fire was gone. The sparks no longer flew, but were they ever flying before? She would never know. Maybe everything she felt for him was made up. Or she actually felt them, but she would never know or take the time to find out because deep down inside, she knew it was wrong.

"Was that all?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said.

He pulled her into a warm, brotherly hug before waving goodbye and leaving. James felt, angry almost, upset and irritated.

Fred came out happier than he had seen him in weeks.

"Ariana's coming back, she convinced the doctors that she was totally find, and I actually saw her eat a full meal!" he exclaimed. "Okay, so maybe she gave me some of it, but still!"

"Good for you."

"What's up, mate?"

"Rachel like broke up with me, but we were never dating so, she sort of just left me stranded."

"What's she going to do?"

"Leave the wizarding world, go to New York with Elliot and just disappear from our lives," James answered nonchalantly and dryly. "Yay."

Fred gave him a sympathetic look.

**.**

Rachel finished up her packing, leaving her wand on the table by her bed, she looked at her bare room. Her walls were bear, her closet empty, nothing decorated her window ledge like it use too. The room was dark and gloomy, as if mourning that she was leaving.

Walking down the hall, it was just as sad, but when was it ever happy?

To be quite honest, Rachel could not think of one memory that had made her happy here. Even at Draco and Astoria's home, it seemed happier, lighter. She had better memories from there than where she stood at that exact moment.

Daphne gave her an awkward hug and a little bag of wizard treats; Nathaniel gave her a nod, explaining he'll tell Liana about everything.

Flooing over to the Malfoy's, Al and Socrpius were lounging on the couch. Once she arrived though, they jumped up and looked at her expectantly.

"I'll miss you Al, I'll miss you a lot," she sighed, flinging her arms around him. "Why did you become my friend? This is hurting me more than I want it too."

He laughed into her hair before answering, "Because you were interesting, withdrawn, but interesting and I stopped denying myself the simple pleasure of getting to know interesting people. Will you owl me once you arrive?"

"No, because I'm leaving Snowdrop here."

He had a crestfallen look, but it was for the best. Besides, it would be a long fly for an owl to get across the sea and such.

Turning around she flung her arms around her cousin/brother.

"Scorpius, oh my god, I'll miss you too!"

"Why did you give Rose the code?"

"Because she's smart and I thought one person deserved to know where I went… But this is not about Rose, I love you Scorp, you too Al. I love you and I'll miss you, because this is really the end."

Rachel let go; blinking, forcing the tears back because she had enough of the salt coming out of her eyes for the rest of the year, scratch that, the rest of her life.

Taking a piece of parchment out of her coat pocket, she handed it too Scorp.

"Give this to Rose, she'll understand."

"This isn't another code, is it?"

"No."

There was a knock on the frame door and Rachel saw Astoria standing there.

"You better get going, Elliot said he'll be waiting at the coffee shop in town," she smiled. Scooping her into a hug that Rachel tensed in Astoria whispered something that only she could hear, "Go make me proud."

The last person she said goodbye too was Draco who gave her a very brief hug, not saying a word as he put an arm around his wife and watched his daughter leave the house, never to return. Or rather, left the house with no intention to return, fate was a funny thing.

**.**

The airport was busy and fast; she was amazed by such technology as Elliot guided her around. They had thirty minutes before boarding and she stared over her home, the country she was born in. This was the last she would see of this place, forever.

"Hey, Rach, come on!" he yelled, a smiled on his face as he gestured her to follow him.

Putting on a smile of her own, she ran with her luggage rolling after her.

Boarding the plane, she didn't look back once.

* * *

**A/N: *Hiding* Don't kill me, I warned in some of the earlier chapters that some of you guys might not like the way this ends, but it's my story... so, I decided she needed to escape!**

**That's the end until the epilogue that I will post on Wednesday (it's already written) if I get 65 reviews? **

**THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT AND CHECK OUT MY OTHER STORIES! UNTIL THEN.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize because it belongs to JK Rowling. **


	25. Epilogue

**A/N: OH MY GOD, I'M SO SORRY, I FORGOT TO UPDATE YESTERDAY! STUPID, STUPID, STUPID ME! It just slipped my mind, again, I'm really sorry. **

**The Lion and the Snake**

**Epilogue**

_**Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate your mind on the present moment.**_

_**-Buddha**_

_Two years later_

_..._

The spring day was hot as Elliot came out of the shower, complaining about the weather.

Kissing Rachel on the lips, she smiled before slapping his shoulder playfully.

Sipping her coffee, she looked at her drawing seriously before holding it up for his inspection.

"What do you think?"

"That might look better with jeans," he commented, making his own coffee.

"Yeah, I think the shorts are a bit too much," she nodded. "I'll talk this over with Cassidy later."

Both taking their bags and their coffee, they walked hand in hand down to the subway. Rachel chattered off about what they would do after she got back from work and he got back from school. Maybe they would take a stroll in Central Park, or they would go eat out for their one-year anniversary. Either way, they were going to do something fun.

The only way Elliot got her to stop was giving her a chaste kiss and both of them getting off the train.

"Okay, so I guess we'll meet back here at lunch?"

"Yup, then you can either have an hour alone or some help me work, because Cass and I have to finish a project so I'll be here at five."

"Okay, and then we'll have our special night out?"

"Yup! Bye!" Rachel said, quickly pecking him on the cheek, she hurriedly walked down the street to the building.

From there she walked in, waved at her coworkers before finding herself in the peace of her office that she shared with Cassidy.

"Hey, Rach!" the blonde popped her head out from under the desk. "Okay, so we have a photo shoot with a new model, we'll be doing the clothing with the theme prom. We have to be there at― Damn it, right now! RUN!"

Rachel quickly set her things down before running down the hall after Cassidy, everyone use to the hectic running by now.

Shoving the doors open, Rachel set eyes on someone she never thought she would see again: Ariana Jones.

"Wow, small world," the redhead commented. She was still her short, thin frame of 5 five feet, but she was no doubt pretty in a striking manner. "Hey Rachel!"

"Jones, how are you?" she asked politely.

"Good, but I have something to give you!"

Running― Bouncing to her jacket, she pulled out a piece of parchment. Placing it into Rachel's hand, she smiled before returning to the stylists contemplating what they would do for hair and make up.

Throwing the piece of parchment between the many sheets of papers she had, Rachel quickly went to help Cassidy find her something to wear. The dresses were abundant and very fancy and large, prom dresses that were big and expensive. She didn't value prom much, or rather, she didn't really understand why it was such a big deal.

"Also, Rose did something we never thought she would do," Ariana commented out of the blue.

"That would be?" she prompted, looking at the dress in her hand currently

"She dug up some dirt and looks like Lucius Malfoy can no longer play his dirty tricks."

"Looks like she can play games just as well as a Slytherin," Rachel murmured, handing a green dress to Cassidy.

Rose had followed through with Rachel's last request. Lucius Malfoy was destroyed and no one would trust him, Rose was just as brilliant as everyone thought. Maybe even better than Rachel who had given everything up for the life she had now.

_No regrets though_, she thought to herself in the back of her mind.

The redhead chattered off, telling everyone in the room about her school year at NYCDA. Making her just a little bit more tolerable.

**.**

Making their way home, Rachel gave them an hour before they would go for dinner and a stroll in Central Park.

After her refreshing shower, she changed into a casual outfit, finding a light sweater to go along with it. Her eyes wandered the closet and it landed on the jacket she had worn coming to New York. Picking it up, she hung it in it's rightful, but not before something slipped out of its pocket.

_I never kept parchment in my pockets at school,_ Rachel thought to herself.

Opening the sheet of old parchment, there was the writing of the one and only: Draco Malfoy.

* * *

**_Dear Rachel,_**

**_ How do I begin? How do I tell you this? Well, for starters, I never took you back because I was a scared coward, scared of my father and for your life. He's a cruel man and I didn't want to face his wrath, even if it was for my daughter. _**

**_ I love you. I will always love you, even if you hate me for everything your mum and I put you through._**

**_ I also miss you. _**

**_ Your mum and I will always be here, at home waiting for you return. If you ever do decide to come back, we'll answer any question you have, leaving nothing out. If you ever want answers, we will give them to you._**

**_ Love,_**

**_Draco Malfoy_**

* * *

He had addressed her so formally, but what he had written was true.

Folding the paper back up, she went to her stack of drawings. Relocating what Ariana had given her, she sighed deeply before opening it up.

* * *

_Rachel―_

_ Know that right here and now, I will always love you, but not be in love with you._

_― James_

* * *

It was sweet, short and entirely James. She had felt the same way about him, but she now had Elliot who she loved and was in love with. Deep down, Rachel hoped that James had found someone who was for him. It would hurt if he didn't and she moved on so quickly.

"Rach! You coming?" Elliot called from the other room.

"Coming!"

Locking the two letters away in her moment box, she grabbed her purse and her shoes before meeting Elliot at the door. He kissed her temple before taking her hand and leading her out.

"We'll have Italian tonight," she told him with a smile.

It felt like a dream, walking down the hallways and stairs, out the apartment door and into New York City. The way the sun was setting and the light from the street lamps flickering on made her feel warm inside and out. When the breeze touched her bare skin, and the smell of everything from coffee to plain air missed together to make her feel comfortable, everything was amazingly perfect.

Elliot stopped them in the middle of the sidewalk.

Pulling Rachel into a warm embrace, he whispered something that made her heart flutter.

"_I love you so much_."

In that moment, Rachel had to admit that her life was perfect. Nothing could beat this, not even being absolutely flawless because she had Elliot and was finally living a real life.

She now knew that the past didn't matter, the future was something she should just wait for and concentrate everything in the moment. Right there, in Elliot's warm embrace, she whispered those three words back.

"I love you too," she murmured back as he kissed her softly on the lips, making the world around her melt. Rachel didn't just love him, she was in love with him. There was always a difference between the two that some people just don't realize, but Rachel knew.

_**Fin.**_

* * *

**A/N: **

** So thanks for all the support in this story and it's done. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize because it belongs to JK Rowling. **

**THANKS AGAIN FOR EVERYTHING! Check out my other stories! **

**See Ya!**


	26. Epilogue 2

**A/N: I decided to write an epilogue for James. So it's not all too confusing. **

**The Lion and the Snake**

**Epilogue 2**

It's been a near three years since I've last seen Rachel. I certainly wasn't expecting to run into her one afternoon while walking through New York.

A year ago, I was training to be a Professor and Fred was off exploding and inventing things in his room. We were both doing our own things and enjoying life when I had the crazy urge to go and travel the world.

To be honest, I was sick of studying at the moment. Going to school, and then going home to do even more homework, and then repeating the process. Living this life felt absolutely sickening.

So I went over to my parent's house where I had a meltdown.

My parents supported my idea of traveling around the world for a while would benefit me. Having a midlife crisis when I was still a teenager was better than having one when I was 50 and it was too late.

So here I was, strolling through New York on a nice and sunny afternoon. Jones and her friend, Anna Trin, offered to show us around town. I agreed, but later since I suggested to Trin that Fred and Jones needed alone time to sort out there problems.

I'm sure they're probably snogging or something now, I don't know.

Getting back on topic, I was picking out a nice apple to eat when I heard a familiar voice.

Looking up, I saw her and had to do a double take to make sure I wasn't seeing anything. To be honest, if that was Rachel, I would be surprised. She looked nothing like she did years ago.

She was a bit taller, probably from the heels she was sporting. Her hair was cut short, just above her shoulder and it was streaked a golden brown. She wasn't Malfoy pale any longer, her complexion was just slightly tanned and not so Malfoy-like. Though, her accent was a slipping in and out from British to American, I felt like the American one suited her much better.

Honestly, the biggest change was the smile on her face and that sparkle in her eyes. She seemed genuinely happy about life.

"Rachel?" I asked.

She looked up and smiled.

"James?"

That led to a bit of awkward small talk until she invited me to have some coffee with her.

"What brings you here?"

"I was traveling," I shrugged. "It was Fred's turn to pick and he picked New York, to be honest, I think he wants to propose to Jones."

She laughed.

"What's it like back home?" Rachel asked curiously. "Ariana said that everything's been all right, according to her brother. I do get a letter from Al or Scorpius every now and then, but you know, they don't talk much about what happened."

"Well, as of last year, Rose completely destroyed Lucius Malfoy without touching Draco or Astoria," I shrugged, giving her a small smirk since I've always had a feeling she put Rose up to it. "Meredith has delved into the fashion business and doesn't regret a lot of the things she did to you."

She sighed. Her green eyes sparkling with relief when I told her that Lucius Malfoy was destroyed. She didn't seem to care too much about Meredith though, I mean, who would?

"Liana got married," I told her lightly. "To Alex, as of last month."

"Oh really? I wasn't invited," she commented, looking slightly upset. Slightly being the key word.

A moment of silence passed between us. A lot of things happened from the fact Professor Clifton was let out of custody, the marriage of Alex and Liana, which was a lovely ceremony. Though I was sort of upset that I didn't see some of my old friend, like Jones didn't come and of course, Rachel wasn't there. Al finally got a steady girlfriend, Rose and Malfoy was engaged and I'm sure there were a few famous deaths that happened as well.

"You look so different," I told her, taking a sip of my coffee. "You seem happy."

"I am," Rachel nodded with a smile. "Elliot and I are dating and he proposed to me last night, on our anniversary. We're planning to get married in Europe, you know, our homeland."

I gawked at her since she seemed so sure about this. Three years ago, she would have been skeptical of any idea with love, but now she was diving headfirst into a decision that breaking up would be quite difficult.

"Are you sure? About getting married, I mean."

"Yes," she smiled. "We're stupid and crazy in love, I guess it's better to make mistakes now than later, but I'm very sure about getting married to him."

"Why go back home?" I asked curiously.

She made her choice years ago to move here and leave her magical life behind. Why in the world was she heading back? After all these years she finally was going back to the place she left, almost vowing never to turn back?

"I have to tell my parents," Rachel sighed. "My Dad— Draco left me a letter, that if I ever wanted to know about my past, he would be there to give me answers."

Answers, something she had wanted for years. I guess she's finally getting them.

It wasn't that I was upset that she was going back home and getting married. Hell no, I wasn't that in love with her and just like she said, we were just fragments of the past to each other now. We still mattered, but we weren't the middle of each other's lives. Besides, I was no longer in love with her and she wasn't in love with me.

Just because I didn't love her that way, doesn't mean I didn't care about her. She could be making a huge mistake.

Apparently not since she was very sure about this decision.

"James, can I tell you something?"

"Sure," I shrugged.

"Anna Trin isn't that bad of a person, I suggest you get to know her," she told me, taking a bite of a cookie that she had ordered. "The upside to it is that you don't have to explain to her about magic since she's lived with Ariana for two years and she's a witch herself."

I cocked my eyebrow at her. Was she trying to set me up with someone, Tri to be exact?

"She's a good friend, though a little bit on the crazy side," Rachel shrugged.

"Good to know, but I'm not planning on dating anytime soon," I shook my head. "Plus, I have to go, promised Fred, Jones and Trin I would meet up with them for something special— I don't know."

Rachel nodded and smiled. She got up from the table and gave me a hug before waving goodbye to me.

To be honest, I don't think I could ever be happier.

I lost Rachel long before I even had her and that didn't matter anymore.

Here I was, young, crazy and twenty-one in the city that never sleeps. Might as well make the most of it since I don't even know how long I have left until I die. For all I know, I could die tomorrow morning.

I have this life and I'm living it right now. Just like at the end of my seventh year, I'm going to go have some fun and do something crazy with my old and new friends.

No, I had no idea what Trin was planning, no, I was not going to question her and Jones. Yes, I was going to do something I might end up regretting, but maybe not, maybe I'll do something that will make me happy.

I'll never know until I try.

_**~Fin~**_

* * *

**A/N: Check out my new story Misfit Toy and please review it! Thanks!**

**I hoped you like this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize since it belongs to JK Rowling!**


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